The Keys
by Winekita
Summary: The Seven—Percy and Annabeth Jackson, Jason and Piper Grace, Frank and Hazel Zhang, Leo and even Calypso Valdez—have been mysteriously taken away. Their children, Lacy and Bobby, Mark, Sammy Leo, and Tulio and Esperanza, are given a key and a clue on how to find the first missing parent: Leo Valdez. T because reasons.
1. Leo I

**_Yay, I finally got enough of the beginning written down in this story to get up the nerve to start posting it!_  
><strong>

**_It is HIGHLY recommended that you read _Papi_ first, as you would understand where Tulio and Espie came from and why they are...them :3_**

**_Anyway, this story will hopefully be a bit longer than _Papi _(at least, it's not going to be short as, like, 15 chapters or something)__, so that's something to look forward to. And I have enough chapters pre-written to help distract everyone until BoO!_**

**_Let the countdown commence!_**

**_One last thing. I would've titled this chapter as a prologue, but it doesn't really feel like one. So, it'll officially be the first chapter! YAY!_**

**_Disclaimer: I own this second generation (as there are many in the fandom), but not any of the canon characters._**

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><p><strong>I<strong>

**LEO**

"Leo, get out here!"

Leo Valdez walked out of his personal forge covered in soot and grime. His wife, Calypso Valdez, stood in the doorway tapping her foot in annoyance. In her arms was their sleepy and sick little four-year-old, Zachariah Hunter Valdez. Though their elder son, Tulio, could use his healing powers (inherited from his mother's Titan side) to cure Zac, Calypso did not allow it. She didn't want Tulio using his healing powers all willy-nilly on trivial things like a cold or a boo-boo.

"What, _mi sol_?" Leo asked, wiping his hands on an already-dirty rag.

Calypso huffed in annoyance. "You forgot to put up the sound-proof shield. You keep waking up our son! He needs rest, you idiot!"

Leo lowered his head and walked over to his son. "Sorry, _mijo_," he apologized, ruffling the boy's caramel-colored curly hair. Zac's almond eyes were cloudy with sleep. "_Papi_ can be an idiot, sometimes, huh?"

Zac nodded and sneezed. Calypso patted him on the back and glared at Leo. "It's hard enough for him to get some sleep when he's _sick_! You banging around down here—on your off-day, may I remind you—made him come to the garden and get me!"

Leo shrugged. "I'll turn on the sound-proof shield, then."

"You might as well take a break," she said. "Go be useful and get some groceries instead. Aria will be home from her playdate with Augustus soon."

"But whyyy," he whined. "I gots work to doooo."

She kicked him playfully. "We need milk and eggs. I'm a gardener, not a farmer. Go."

Leo grumbled and kissed his wife good-bye. He loved her to death and would do anything for her, including dropping everything to go get groceries for her while she took care of their sick baby.

As Leo walked down the street, he thought about his family.

His eldest children, the 15-year-old Leo-reflection-twins Tulio and Esperanza, were currently spending their 5th summer at Camp Half-Blood, just outside New Athens—where the Valdezes currently lived. They stayed in the Hephaestus Cabin, seeing as they were his legacies and building a one-time-use cabin for the former Titan Calypso seemed pointless. Leo was told that Tulio spent most of his time in Bunker Nine, fixing up and making adjustments to the _Argo II_. He had turned down head counselor, much to Leo's dismay, but demanded that he get counselor curfew-extension privileges just so he could stay longer and do what he wanted inside the Bunker. He never went on quests unless Esperanza requested he come, which had only been twice. Leo was secretly glad at that. Tulio's fighting skills were about as great as Leo's at that age. That meant he could swing a hammer, but that was about it.

Esperanza—who always told everyone she met to call her Espie—spent most of her time with the Apollo Cabin. Because of her beautiful voice and amazing art skills, she was pretty much an unofficial, unannounced, honorary Apollo camper. Espie still had to eat, sleep, and join in the War Games and Capture the Flag with the Hephaestus Cabin, though. That was fine with her, because she would never willingly abandon her brother and was always there to drag him out of his 'Tulio Cave'. She sucked at most forms of close combat, sticking mainly to shooting her enemies with fireballs. She always asked Leo to help her improve, to which he would always smile and say yes. Espie had gone on many quests since first attending camp (oh, every time she did that Leo felt worry butterflies eating him inside) and had been heading quests since she was 13.

Aria, their 8-year-old mini-Calypso, couldn't really go attend camp, being completely mortal and having no legacy powers. She didn't even have the sort of instincts legacies got, nor did she have ADHD or dyslexia, so the Valdezes just didn't let her go. Instead, she usually hung out at random places in the young demigod city, New Athens, during the summer. When she was a teenager, Leo and Calypso would talk to her about attending some sort of mortal summer camp so she could at least not be stuck in the city. They thought about music camps the most, since Aria—true to her name—had a knack for music, specifically in the violin area. Leo and Calypso both knew that she would be a sure-win for Julliard scholarships when she was older.

And of course, there was their youngest child, 4-year-old Zachariah. He had Leo's curly hair, but it was Calypso's shade of caramel, like Aria. He had also inherited Calypso's pale complexion. Zac had Calypso's almond eyes, too, just like Tulio. The only thing 'Leo' about him (besides the hair) was his impish features—pointy ears, round face, turned up nose, and crooked grin. He was just as mortal as his older sister, but he seemed to have all the signs of a legacy of Hephaestus: love of machines, ADHD, dyslexia, the ability to understand Creak and Squeak—y'know, the basics. This meant he was almost definitely going to camp when he got older. Thankfully, Zac didn't seem to inherit Leo's fire user abilities like his older twin siblings, so that was a relief to everyone. Zac also seemed to like gardening and flowers, so most of the time he would spend half the day with Leo in the shop and then the other half with Calypso in the garden.

Leo sighed happily. He couldn't ask for better kids. Or a better life. He was the top mechanic and blacksmith in New Athens. Many people came to him for weapons and repair-jobs, which kept him busy as a bee. Calypso was a florist. She didn't garden for the money. She mostly grew flowers to donate them to people who looked like they needed a smile. Other than that, she was a stay-at-home wife and a dedicated volunteer at the New Athens hospital. She still had healing powers (to a degree) so she enjoyed helping out Will Solace and the other Apollo-descended New Athenians.

Leo figured he'd use the shortcut through the alley, just to save time on getting to the store. He didn't really think of how that could be a bad idea. It wasn't like it was dark outside. It was just before noon, and he had made this shortcut many times through the years.

So, he really wasn't expecting to be jumped.

How a couple of obviously not-good Cyclopes had gotten within the borders, Leo didn't know. He didn't have time to register that either.

One of the Cyclopes bear hugged the son of Hephaestus, restricting him and preventing escape. The other grinned evilly and held up a rag. "Hold still, fire user."

He pressed the rag over Leo's mouth and nose. Leo immediately smelled chloroform. He struggled against the Cyclops's grip. He knew catching fire would do no good, so that option was out. He couldn't reach his tool belt, either! Leo's thoughts began clouding with each passing minute under the chloroform rag. He couldn't think straight, his vision beginning to double and bend.

As Leo's head drooped, he heard someone say, "Good. Remember to use the fire-proof chains on this one."

And with that, Leo fell unconscious.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: And right off the bat we have plot! It won't be slow to start like **_**Papi_ I guarantee that right now._**

**_This chapter was mainly to get to know the Valdez family in the future. Hey, look! Another Valdez! They're like bunnies, aren't they? :3 Hope you all like Zachariah Valdez. One of my friends in high school was named Zachariah, and I called him L. If you've read Death Note you'll understand that reference and know exactly what he looked like. So, Zac's name was inspired after him :)_**

**_Also, this won't be the only 'Seven' POV that the story gets. It'll just be a while before you get another. Next POV will be Tulio, ladies and gents! :D_**

**_FIVE DAYS TIL BOO!_**


	2. Tulio II

**_FOUR MOAR DAYS! D: I'm gonna die from an anxiety attack!_**

**_This chapter. Is. In. TULIO'S POV! Let the squeals commence! Those of you who followed _Papi_ must be excited to know about Tulio and Espie._**

**_Disclaimer: I own the kids/teens, but not any of the canon characters._**

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><p><strong>II<strong>

**TULIO**

Tulio Valdez hated combat lessons. He sucked at close combat, especially if he had to use a sword instead of a hammer.

And he _especially_ sucked at close sword-combat when his training partner was a fully-trained Roman centurion.

Sammy Leo Zhang stood over him, his Imperial Gold _gladius_ pointed at Tulio's throat. He didn't even look like he had broken a sweat, whereas Tulio was drenched and gasping on the ground. His own sword was somewhere else, knocked out of his hands some time ago.

Sammy gave a lopsided grin and sheathed his sword. He held his hand out.

"Better luck next time?" he tried.

Tulio took his hand and lifted himself up to a standing position. "I doubt it. It's not really fair when your opponent is a legacy of Ares that can't be defeated in battle."

"Legacy of Mars," the Roman corrected, giving him a half-hearted glare. "And I can't help it if Grandfather blessed me with that. All things considered, I'd rather have the animal gift Dad has. It seems way cooler."

"You'd give up 'indestructible' for Beast Boy powers?"

Sammy snorted. "I'm not indestructible. I _can_ get hurt, you know. I just can't be beaten in battle."

Tulio snorted back. "Yeah. I go back to my original statement: it's not fair to have a Mars legacy that can't be defeated in battle be your opponent in battle training."

His friend shrugged. "Hey, you said you'd rather have me be your partner than any of the other Ares Cabin campers."

This was true. The Hephaestus Cabin and Ares Cabin were slotted for battle training today, and for some reason it was mandatory for Tulio to participate. Otherwise, he would've just stayed in the Bunker and tinkered away at one of his projects. He found it a little unfair that Espie got to skip out and play 'archery' with the Apollo campers instead. Her idea of archery was actually just hitting a target with a fireball. For a Hephaestus legacy, she had Apollo legacy-accuracy.

Sammy was there because he was granted summer leave from the Legion. After the Second Giant War, the Greeks and Romans had come to a special arrangement. Legionnaires would be able to earn summer leave and join Camp Half-Blood for the summer, but one had to work really hard for it. Generally speaking, usually only centurions and senior officers worked hard enough for CHB Leave. Sammy was the best of the centurions in the Legion (for obvious reasons) and had earned CHB Leave for five years straight now (he'd been in the Legion for seven). Tulio had heard a rumor he might be up for praetorship soon. Tulio didn't want that. Being praetor would mean that Sammy wouldn't be able to be a camper anymore and have to stay full-time at Camp Jupiter. That would be really hard to deal with, as the Roman was one of Tulio's best and oldest friends.

Sammy Leo's younger brother, Augustus 'Gus' Zhang, wasn't in the Legion yet. He would be taking the journey to the Wolf House to start his training in the fall. Tulio knew he wouldn't be seeing him for a long time. Not unless he himself went on a quest to somewhere near Camp Jupiter, which was doubtful; Tulio hated going on quests. They were far too stressful for him. Give him a hammer and a piece of metal to bang on any day.

The horn signaling lunch rang through the air. The boys walked together out of the training arena and began their short journey to the dining pavilion.

Tulio could see the other campers heading in the same direction. He spotted Esperanza easily enough. She saw him and waved happily before turning back to her Apollo friends. Tulio knew she would join the Cabin Nine table as soon as Tulio sat down, so he let her be.

He looked over at Sammy, who was staring at the Apollo Cabin group with great intensity. A wave of pure emotion was coming off of him. This emotion Tulio knew all too well.

"So," Tulio ventured, trying not to smile. "Have you plucked up the courage yet?"

Sammy put up a great poker-face. "I don't know what you mean."

"Come on," the demititan sighed. "You know I can sense stronger-than-average moods and emotions. It's why I hate crowds; too many huge feelings at once. Also why I don't hang out that often outside of the Bunker."

Sammy shrugged. "Still don't know what you're getting at, dude."

Tulio merely said, "Espie."

_That_ cracked the Roman's defense. His golden eyes flashed in alarm. In a matter of seconds, he fixed it again. "What about her?"

The demititan merely grinned smugly and gestured to his sister, who was currently giggling about some joke her friends had made.

Sammy blushed (which was really hard to notice through his dark complexion) and growled, "Shut up."

Tulio held up his hands in surrender. "I didn't say a word," he said, using his father's famous impish grin to emphasize it. The Roman blushed more and walked a little faster, his semi-afro of extremely curly black hair bouncing with every step. Tulio followed, still grinning triumphantly.

Suddenly, a yell came from somewhere.

"SAAAAMMMMMYYYYY!"

Tulio cocked his head. "That sounded like Gus."

Sammy turned his head and frowned. "That's cause it _is_ Gus."

Tulio turned and saw a really worried Augustus Zhang running full speed through camp. Following him was an equally worried Aria Valdez holding a sick (and sleeping) Zachariah.

Seeing Aria here in camp without their parents was one thing, but Zac was too _young_ and too _sick_ to be in camp at all without Calypso or Leo. The fact that neither of his parents were supervising Aria and Zac was _very_ worrying to Tulio.

"Aria," he called. "Why are you running around with Zac? You know he's sick!"

She reached her older brother and held her younger brother out. "Please, Tulio. Heal Zac. I don't know what else to do! I swear on the River Styx that if Mommy tries to punish you, I'll convince her that I made you! Just do it, please!"

Tulio sighed and kissed Zac on the head. Tulio had inherited Calypso's healing powers. His mother had told him that healing actually ran in the family (though it skipped Atlas). It had started with the very first of the family, Atlas's father Iapetus/Bob, who could heal E.T-style with one finger according to Percy and Annabeth. Tulio had never met the Titan, but kinda wished he could one day. Bob seemed like a great guy.

As soon as Tulio's lips made contact, Zac's cold was instantly cured and the boy woke up in Aria's arms.

Aria huffed, "Thank you, Tulio."

The Hephaestus legacy crossed his arms. "Mind telling me what the problem is? Where—"

"THEY'RE GONE!"

The Valdez children turned towards the Zhangs. Gus was flailing his arms, nearly having a panic attack.

Sammy shook his head. "Are you sure you aren't overreacting, Gus? Mom and Dad probably went to the store without telling you."

Gus shook his head furiously. "No! They were taken, Sammy! A couple of mean Cyclopes burst into the house and took them! Dad didn't even have time to shift into an animal!"

Poor Gus was hyperventilating at this point. Sammy blanched. "Are you serious? How is that possible? The camp borders were extended to cover New Athens, just like at New Rome and Camp Jupiter. How could evil monsters get in?"

Tulio's eyes widened. He looked to Aria. His little sister shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

Tulio felt all the color leave his face.

His mother and father were gone, too!

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><p><em><strong>AN: Woot! You got to know the legacies a bit better. Plot will progress further next chapter, which will still be in Tulio's POV :)**_


	3. Tulio III

**_Still Four more days, but I decided to be AWESOME and post two chapters today! :D This was mostly because I didn't wanna leave it at the last chapter for the day. Plus, I got a little excited about my fifth chapter and wanted to post it earlier than Monday, so I went ahead and told myself to post this a whole 22 hours earlier than usual! Happy Friday everybody!_**

**_musicforlife: Don't make me think about it! D: I'd be among them if Leo died!_**

**_Disclaimer: I own the kids/teens, but not any of the canon characters._**

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><p><strong>III<strong>

**TULIO**

As it turns out, the Zhangs and Valdezes weren't the only one with the missing parents.

The Jackson and Grace families had also been plagued by this tragedy. The camp alarm was raised and a search went out immediately to find the Cyclopes and the legendary Seven.

And, of course, there was nothing in New Athens or Camp.

They were about to check the woods surrounding Camp Half-Blood when a sudden storm came in. The storm didn't really affect the camp or New Athens much, but it still was pretty damaging to the woods beyond the border. Chiron ordered searchers to halt the search outside the borders until it was deemed safe again.

So, there they were, sitting at the dining pavilion.

Tulio huffed and picked at his pizza with a fork. His twin sister Espie sat next to him. She held a great façade, hiding her worriedness behind humor, just like their father could. But Tulio, being able to sense strong emotions, knew she was on the verge of panic—more so than the other legacies, which was worrisome.

That was one of the reasons Tulio and Esperanza Valdez were stuck like glue to each other and inseparable through the years. Most twins, even regular brothers and sisters, got extremely annoyed with each other in the teenage years and tried to do everything in their power to _not_ be together. Not Tulio and Espie. What they had was a mutual sibling love. Whenever Tulio was feeling insecure or inferior about his abilities (_thank you, _Papi_, for giving me that fatal flaw…_) or needed a hug in general, Espie was there to help him out. And if Espie was giving off waves of emotion that weren't happiness or general ADHD excitement, Tulio would be next to her at all times to make her feel safe and grounded.

And to, you know, help her settle down if she caught fire. Hey, being fireproof meant you had to give your flaming sister a hug, too.

Anyway, Espie was definitely feeling panicky right now. The Latina was way more fidgety than usual and Tulio could see small flames flickering in her black curls. He scooted closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Espie stopped in mid-corny-joke and shot her brother a thankful glance. Her panic died down a little.

The Hephaestus kids kept asking to make sure the twins had searched everywhere they thought Leo might be. Tulio huffed in annoyance.

"For the last time," he growled. "We checked each place three times! Here, _Papi_'s old bunk in Cabin Nine, the forges, Bunker Nine, home, _Papi_'s personal shop and forges, even the Shrine of Hephaestus. We haven't found anything!"

Espie gripped his arm and he realized he had melted the fork he was holding. Oh, the joys of being an i_nternal_ fire user!

He dropped his hands below the table and fell silent.

A huge _BOOM_ suddenly echoed through the air. Tulio could feel the vibration through his butt on the seat. An orange glow began gleaming from the woods. Smoke curled up to join the clouds above.

The Hephaestus Cabin stood up immediately. They knew what that was. They worked with it daily. They knew the acrid, stinging smell anywhere.

"Fire," Espie commented. "The woods are on fire!"

* * *

><p>The whole camp had burst out of the dining pavilion to go put out the fire. Lacy Jackson, the headstrong sixteen-year-old daughter of Percy and Annabeth, immediately willed water from the lake to funnel towards the woods. She was just as powerful as a Big Three demigod, and most people who didn't know Percy would have thought Lacy was Poseidon's daughter and not his granddaughter.<p>

Bobby Jackson, her thirteen-year-old brother, began making plans for the extinguishing. He had more Athena in him than Poseidon, so he stayed with the Athena Cabin (though he was allowed to sit with his sister at meals since she was all alone). The Athena Cabin loved him. Tulio suspected he might make senior counselor in a couple years—maybe even sooner.

Sammy Leo went over the plans once with the Athena legacy and began barking out orders in his Roman commando-voice. Everyone was to help. That fire was _not_ going to reach Camp. Everyone instantly obeyed the Roman without hesitation. He was a leader, that was for sure. Tulio knew he got that from his father, Frank.

"Sora, see if you can help!"

Tulio turned his head and saw 14-year-old Mark Grace standing off to the side, analyzing the storm. His trademark spiky brown hair was plastered to his face with rain, almost covering his intense blue eyes.

Tulio winced. Mark wasn't really a _storm_ kinda guy. Sure, he was a legacy of Jupiter and probably could fly ('probably' is the key word because he was afraid of heights like his Aunt Thalia), but he had more Aphrodite in him than anything. He could charmspeak like his mother, Piper, if he wanted to, and was possibly the most handsome guy in the camp. But he was strong in combat like his father, Jason, and handled pressure and leadership quite well.

However, when it came to freak storms, Sora couldn't really do squat. He shook his head at Sammy and yelled, "It's too much for me! Maybe Dad could control it, but I can't!"

Tulio knew how that felt. Sora was always selling himself short, always comparing himself to his father and telling everybody how much better Jason was at doing Zeus/Jupiter-like things—like conjuring up and controlling storms, for example. He needed to prove himself, and now would've been the best time to do it, with Jason out of the picture.

Sammy grimaced and turned to the Valdez twins. "Espie, Tulio! See if you can will the flames out!"

Tulio yelled back, "I'm an _internal_ fire user! I don't do _flame control_!"

"Then stop whining and go help carry water to put out the flames!"

Tulio bit back a remark and followed Esperanza toward the fire. He would be her moral support and catch her if she faltered. Espie went to the frontlines and stood in her flame control stance. Tulio froze.

None of the flames were moving.

Espie snarled and fixed her stance, this time howling, "C'mon, stupid flames! MOVE! GO DOWN!"

The flames just soared higher and inched closer.

The fire was now ten feet away from the border. Eight feet. Five.

Tulio took a bucket and tried dousing the flames. They hissed and steamed, but the flames kept coming.

Then…

They stopped.

Well, the flames themselves were still going strong. But, the moment they touched the border, the flames halted in their advance. It was like a huge wall of flameproof glass was there, preventing the fire from entering camp.

The whole camp sighed in relief.

* * *

><p>Scouts went out to see where the fire was as soon as the storm subsided. About thirty minutes later, they returned. The scouts said that the fire was somehow just staying within a certain area—right around the area where they usually held Capture-the-Flag. It wasn't growing or advancing, but it also wasn't weakening anytime soon. Strangely, too, the trees and grass within the blaze didn't seem to be turning to ash.<p>

Chiron nodded to the scouts and turned toward the crowd of demigods and legacies. "Children, I regret to say that due to circumstances, there won't be any Capture-the-Flag or War Games until further notice. Try not to get too close to the flames. In the meantime, now that the storm has passed, let us continue the search for the Seven!"

Tulio looked at the wall of flames. He had a feeling that fire had something to do with their parents' disappearance.

Tulio grabbed Espie by the wrist. "Let's go visit Grandpa's shrine again."

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><p>About ten minutes later, the demititan twins were staring up at their grandfather's statue. Tulio bent down onto his knees and prayed, "Dear Hephaestus. Help us find our father, Leo. I know you can't help directly, but could you at least give us a clue on his whereabouts? Please. He's one of your favorite sons, right up there with Uncle Harley and Beckendorf! Please help us, Grandfather. Please!"<p>

Espie crouched down and stroked Tulio's back. Tulio smiled up at her. "You could pray too, y'know."

She shrugged. "I'm an _internal_ pray-er. I don't do _praying out loud_."

Tulio grinned at his sister and got up. Suddenly, a _ding_ rang through the air. It sounded like something small and metal had been dropped on the ground.

He looked down and narrowed his eyes.

There, placed between the feet of the Hephaestus statue, was an orange key.

Tulio, swearing internally that the key hadn't been there before, picked up the item and examine it. It seemed quite ordinary, what with its basic old-house key look. The grip end of the key was shaped into a basic flame.

"I wonder what this is for?" he asked.

"Let me see," Espie whined, snatching the key from his hand.

The key suddenly glowed and hovered out of Espie's hands. Writing appeared above the key:

**_The first of the rescues is for the son of Flames,_**

**_Who can only be saved by hope's twice-used name._**

The writing faded and the key gently floated back into Espie's hands.

She locked eyes with Tulio.

"We need to tell Chiron."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Oh Styx! D: What's gonna happen!? What is that poem thing? Why am I so good at cliffies? Why do I not have a copy of BoO right this second?**_

_**Almost all of those questions shall be answered in the next chapter! Til then, guys!**_


	4. Esperanza IV

**_Three days! D: Ermehgerd, three days!_**

**_I can't take it! I feel like I'm gonna die before I get BoO!_**

**_*breathe in* *breathe out*_**

**_Back to the story._**

**_Oh, look! It's Espie POV today! :o How exciting!_**

**_Disclaimer: I own the kids/teens but not any of the canon characters. Whoops, I also don't own Arey. He belongs to PercyJacksonOracle ;)_**

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><p><strong>IV<strong>

**ESPERANZA**

Espie repeated the lines that had appeared over the key to the council, Roman centurions and children of the Seven (minus Aria, Zac and Gus), who were gathered around the ping pong table. Rachel, the Oracle, was currently on a vacation in Florida with some of her cousins. She wouldn't be back until next week.

"_The first of the rescues is for the son of Flames, who can only be saved by hope's twice-used name._ Any ideas on what that means?"

"Could it be a prophecy?" asked Arey Stoll, the current head counselor for Hermes Cabin. He was the only child of Travis and Katie Stoll, with light brown hair, leaf green eyes, and an ocean of freckles splattered across his face.

"It's too short to be a prophecy," retorted the Demeter Cabin head, Sally Vern.

"It kinda sounds like a clue," said Sammy.

"A clue to Leo, perhaps?" asked Bobby thoughtfully.

All eyes locked onto the smaller Jackson. He shrugged as if it was obvious. "The son of Flames? Obviously that's Leo. And he apparently needs rescuing."

Espie's heart sped up. She couldn't handle the fact that her father was the one that needed rescuing. Leo was a person that seemed like he could handle anything. He may not be the toughest or strongest guy, but he was _definitely_ the most resourceful and had the most stamina in a fight.

Tulio gripped her hand. She sighed and shot him a grateful look. Her brother always knew when she was stressed. He always knew how to help her relax.

"But where do we look?" the Ares counselor, Marina McGuffey—someone who freakishly resembled Clarisse La Rue back when she was the Ares counselor—asked. "It's not as if the key gave us a location."

Espie looked out the window. The huge wildfire was still blazing in the forest. She didn't know what it was running on, but had to guess it wasn't dying down on its own.

The key in her hand felt hot. When Espie stole glances at it, it seemed as though the key was pointing towards the fire. Though, that could just be that she was holding the key that way…

But still…

Espie closed her eyes for a moment. It was just to clear her head. But when she did it, the darkness behind her eyelids lit up in flames, and her father's face was behind them. He looked tired and weak. Espie wanted to reach out a hand and help him.

She opened her eyes again. The counselors were talking about some sort of location, but Espie ignored it.

She gripped the key tightly and exhaled. "Isn't it obvious?"

The group had now locked eyes onto her. She gulped. Espie was an attention-seeker, usually ready with a joke or a wise-crack, but when it came to things like this…well, she'd rather someone else take the spotlight.

She pointed to the flames outside. "That's obviously not a normal blaze out there. Perhaps _Papi_'s in there! He'd be the only one who could survive that besides me and Tulio!"

Chiron nodded. "That's plausible. But, that would have to mean Leo is behind that fire."

"_Papi_ wouldn't be able to hold a blaze that big for this long," Tulio argued, his almond eyes flashing dangerously.

Sammy nodded. "He's right. It'd be like Percy or Jason holding a storm over one spot for over a day—it's not possible."

The Roman legacy glanced over at Espie briefly. His golden eyes flashed with something she didn't recognize. She looked away. Why did she feel like blushing whenever he looked at her like that?

_Focus, Espie_, she scolded herself.

Mark huffed. "So, if Leo is really in there, how do we get him out?"

"We'd have to send someone in there," Arey suggested.

Chiron said, "That blaze is far too big. There aren't any gaps and the smoke alone would suffocate anyone who could actually find a path through the flames. However, lucky there _are_ a couple of people here that can withstand those trials."

Tulio shrank in his seat when everyone's eyes rested on them. Espie lifted her chin.

"We can search for him," Espie said. "We'll go right now."

"Take the key with you," Chiron told her. "You may need it."

* * *

><p>Five minutes later, Espie was at the border of the flames, holding Tulio's hand for support. Her heart was in her throat. She glanced at her brother.<p>

He nodded encouragingly. "We can do this, _Hermana_. _Papi_'s in there, waiting for us."

She smiled back. "Let's go."

The whole camp cheered them on as the demititans dove into the fire.

It was something to behold—the landscape inside the blaze, that is.

The trees were perfectly fine, the flames licking against the trunks and branches harmlessly. In fact, it almost seemed like the fire wasn't real—like it was an illusion. The only reason Espie knew the fire was real was the intense heat rolling off the fire in waves. Espie figured that the fire would probably _have_ burned the twins if they weren't fireproof. Whatever didn't want the fire to destroy the woods probably didn't extend that to people.

"Phew," Tulio sighed. "Kinda glad Mom made our clothes fireproof. It would take a lot of concentration to keep our clothes on otherwise."

Espie giggled. "Yeah. So, where do we begin?"

Tulio gazed around. He pointed West. "Seems like the heat gets more intense down there. I'm starting to see a blue glow."

"Alright."

Soon enough, the orange flames began to tinge blue. The heat was, in turn, getting more intense. Espie walked right into the first true blue flames without hesitation.

_This isn't so bad_, she thought. _At least we can get through pretty easily. I just hope there won't be any guardians in here. I forgot to bring a sword, and I'm pretty sure Tulio doesn't have his hammer—_

"Espie…"

She halted and turned around.

Tulio stood just beyond the blue flames, where the orange stopped completely. He looked frightened.

"Well, come on, Tui," she urged. "What's the matter? You scared?"

"Don't call me Tui," he snarled. Then, his face went back into fear. "I'm not scared," he contradicted. "It's just…I can't go through."

He held up his hand to the blue flames. The flames clung to him and sizzled. He retreated back and hissed, clutching his hand to his chest.

"Did…" Espie began. "Did you just get _burned_?"

He nodded.

"But that's not right," she shouted. "You've endured _way_ hotter flames!"

"I think it's the constant exposure," he said. "I may be fireproof, but not as much as you. You and _Papi_ are total fire users that can set yourselves on fire for long periods of time. I've only been able to withstand your flames from a distance or, y'know, stand in small bonfires for a few minutes. I don't think I can withstand constant exposure to hotter flames than this."

Espie wanted to cry. She had never felt so alone with her powers before. Leo had helped her control her flames and make her feel welcome and special, never like a freak. And Tulio? He was one of the only people in the world that could calm her down when she caught fire or get her out of a blaze when she threw a tantrum.

Now Tulio couldn't go with her because he wasn't totally like her—and her _Papi_ was gods-know-where. She was utterly alone now. It felt awful.

"Espie," Tulio said. "You can do this."

"I'm not sure I can," she said honestly. "You won't be next to me."

"You've gone on many quests without me, right?"

She nodded, though she didn't mention how awful it felt every time. She counted the hours and minutes before she could be with her brother each time. When they were apart, it felt like she had lost a limb.

"What's one more?"

Espie sighed. "Okay. But you'll be right there?"

"I won't go anywhere," he promised. "You're Esperanza Valdez! You can get to the bottom of this fire because you're awesome!"

She smiled. Tulio once again knew what to say. That made her want him by her side even more.

"Thanks, Tui."

Before Tulio could growl at her for using his unwanted nickname, she turned and ran deeper into the blue flames.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Aww...poor Espie...**_


	5. Esperanza V

**_I'm very close to hyperventilating right now. Two. Days. Oh. My. Gods. Two. Days._**

**_Anyway._**

**_I got really excited for this chapter a couple days ago when I wrote it, mostly because of pissed off Leo/Tulio. I've never written Leo like that, so I got a little excited about it, even if it was for, like, 30 seconds :)_**

**_Please don't start a debate on flame colors and their hotness. I tried to research that and came up with it going either way. So, I ended up making it the way Espie kinda explains it in her thoughts._**

**_Disclaimer: I own the kids/teens but not any of the canon characters._**

* * *

><p><strong>V<strong>

**ESPERANZA**

Not long after Espie left Tulio behind in the orange flames, the blue flames began to get even hotter. Espie felt sweat begin to slide down her neck. She never perspired when she created flames, but that didn't mean foreign heat wouldn't make her sweat.

Soon enough, white flames penetrated the blue.

_White_, she thought. _Huh. I thought blue was hotter? But, then again, I've never actually shot blue flames. It's either white or orange/yellow. Maybe that means there's a fire-user controlling the flames if the center of the blaze is white!_

Espie had to shield her eyes to the total whiteness that had taken over the forest. She was suddenly glad Tulio didn't try to come with her. This heat was almost unbearable to _her_! She couldn't imagine what Tulio would've had to go through if he had tried to endure!

She gazed around and saw a small dark dot in the distance.

_What is that? A rock?_

She stepped closer, feeling like something was pressing her back. _That must mean I'm getting close to the source,_ she thought.

Espie squinted and focused on the dot that was slowly taking shape. It was a person—a person lying flat on their back. And they weren't moving!

Espie picked up the pace and gasped when she got close enough to see details.

The person was an almost middle-aged Latino man wearing overalls, an old yellow tool belt, work boots, and a white t-shirt. His curly black hair was splayed out around his head and neck. Though his eyes were closed, Espie knew that they were deep chocolate brown.

She knew that because she had inherited those eyes.

The unconscious person in front of her was her _Papi_, Leo Valdez!

Espie rushed over to his side. She moved to try and shake him awake, but some sort of force hissed and struck at her hands. She reared back in alarm and examined her hands.

A few red blisters were suddenly present on her palms. When she flexed her hands, a searing pain shot through her.

_I got burned!?_ she thought in disbelief._ I got _burned_!?_

She stared in disbelief at the flames encircling her _Papi_. They were even brighter than the white flames surrounding the woods, if that was even possible. Espie had to wonder if she was suffering the same effect as Tulio. Maybe because she was a second generation fire user, she couldn't endure a first generation's hottest flames?

Leo himself looked weak. It seemed as though the flames were sapping his strength. Yet, he seemed peaceful. If Espie didn't know better, she would have thought he was sleeping. Of course, it would have been hard to think that since Leo was bound with chains.

Espie examined the chains. They were Celestial Bronze chains—obviously fireproof. The ends were linked together with a huge flame-shaped lock that seemed to be fused to Leo's shirt and chest.

A lock?

Espie brought out the key. It was glowing more intensely, matching the white hot flames surrounding the son of Hephaestus.

Espie tried to move the key towards the lock, but the flames burned her again. She glared at the flames.

Espie sat back and tried to think. _These flames are different. They look as if they're draining _Papi_'s energy. What would happen if I…_

She spread her hands towards the flames and thought, _Go out. Die down. Decrease. Do SOMETHING!_

The flames surrounding Leo didn't do anything of the sort. They just seemed to grow stronger.

Espie flinched. _Oh, gods…what do I do? I can't make them go out, then…go out…out…what if I tried to make them…go in?_

She gulped and held her hands out again. What she was suggesting to herself seemed crazy.

_Well, I'm a Valdez_, she decided. _We're all crazy! _Papi_'s just crazy in general, Mom's crazy for marrying him, Tulio inherited _Papi_'s craziness for machines, Aria's crazy for her music, Zac's a crazy baby, and me? I'm crazy because I'm about to do this!_

She willed the fire toward her. She was aiming to absorb the flames, which would take their focus off of Leo and onto her. If she could make them _her_ flames, she could probably will them out.

The flames immediately moved towards her, eagerly wanting a taste of the young demititan. The flames seared her skin, making it red and blistered, but Espie held strong.

_That's right. Come to Mama._

Soon, Leo's flames were gone—now they had relocated to Espie, who was slowly being burned alive by the sheer power of the white flames. She bit back a scream and balled her hands into fists.

_Now you're mine_, she screamed in her mind. _And I say, cool off!_

The fire began to sizzle, cooling to a light yellow. Espie would have cheered if not for the fact that she was still hurting. _Come on. A little more. Now, go away! Disperse!_

Finally, the flames dissipated and died out. As they fizzled out, so too did the forest's blaze. It was like someone had flicked a light switch to the 'off' position. Darkness was suddenly present as the flames flickered out. The forest, which looked as if a fire hadn't even touched it, fell silent.

Espie collapsed next to Leo, hissing in pain. Now that the fire was all gone, the air stung her possibly-first degree burns that riddled her entire body. It was a weird feeling, something she hoped would never happen again—if she survived them, that is.

She turned her head. Leo was still peacefully unconscious, still bound in chains. Espie wanted to reach out to him, but her strength was gone. Her eyelids grew heavy.

Papi_'s fine_, she thought tiredly, closing her eyes. _I bet if I closed my eyes a few minutes…he'd still be…okay…_

Just as she was about to completely pass out, Espie felt a body next to her. Through her haze, she could feel someone lift up her head and kiss her on the forehead.

The pain in her body ebbed. The burns disappeared and the blisters healed. Strength returned and she could open her eyes again.

Tulio was crouched above her, smiling impishly. "Hey, Sis. Welcome back."

Espie sat up, wincing at the remaining burns that hadn't gone away yet. "Tulio? How'd you…"

"The flames suddenly vanished," the Latino explained. "I immediately teleported to you. I see you got burned, too."

"Yeah," she mumbled. "I tried to absorb _Papi_'s flames since I couldn't make them go out. It was strange—being burned, I mean." She shuddered. "It felt awful."

Tulio nodded. "I can agree. What about _Papi_?"

Espie turned. She took out the key, which was still white hot, and held it up. "The key was for this."

Her brother nodded. "_'Hope's twice-used name'_," he recited. "Espie, that's you."

"Pardon?"

"Hope," he said, smiling. "Your name. Esperanza means hope. _Papi_ named you after our _abuela_. Your name has been used twice!"

Espie grinned and turned back to Leo. She stuck the key in the lock and turned it.

It clicked.

The chains disappeared as quickly as the blaze had. The lock and key seeped into Leo's chest, never to be seen again. Espie wanted to know what that was about, but her train of thought was interrupted by the fact that her _Papi_ was stirring.

Leo's eyes fluttered open. He groaned, "Wha…?"

Espie and Tulio looked at him expectantly.

Leo turned his head and narrowed his eyes. "Kids? What're you doing…? Shouldn't you be at camp?"

The twins laughed and bombarded Leo in a huge double-team bear hug. He gasped.

When they finished, Leo managed, "How did I get into the forest?"

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later, the Valdez trio had hobbled back into camp. Espie and Tulio were now at another council meeting. Leo was also present, feeling stronger now that he'd had some nectar and a sandwich. He was sitting between the twins, mostly because they wanted to make sure their <em>Papi<em> didn't disappear again without at least one of them knowing.

"Well," Chiron said. "At least we have one parent returned safely."

Leo looked down. Espie figured he wasn't in the mood to crack a joke. After hearing that all of the Seven—including Calypso—had been taken away, the son of Hephaestus's mood had dropped dramatically.

"Now the question is," Sammy Leo said, "where are the others?"

Arey Stoll looked at Leo expectantly. "Any ideas, Mr. Valdez?"

Leo cracked a smile, as did Espie. He _hated_ it when people didn't call him Leo. "Sorry, _Makwell_." Arey flinched at the use of his first name. "I don't know squat. All I remember is these two Cyclopes jumped me and used a chloroform rag to knock me out. A little bit 'mortal' in tactics, but I appreciate them not just hitting my head with a club." He subconsciously rubbed his head. "Gods know I've had enough of that to make me feel like Jason."

Lacy sighed. "I was really hoping you'd have a clue to where everyone was…"

Leo blinked sadly at her. "I know, Lacy. I'm real sorry."

The son of Hephaestus put his hands in his overall pockets, probably to get something to tinker with like his son, Tulio, was doing.

Leo's eyes widened. He looked down at his right hand as he pulled his fist out of his pocket. "Or…maybe I _do_ have something…"

Espie gazed at his hand as he held it out for the whole council to see. She—along with many others—gasped.

Inside Leo's palm was a silver key. At its end was a carved owl with little diamonds placed delicately into the metal—a symbol of Athena.

Bobby gasped, as did the Athena Cabin head counselor, Edward Welsh.

"Gimme that," the young legacy demanded.

Leo cocked an eyebrow and handed the key over.

As soon as Bobby grabbed it, the key began to hover and glow. Silver words floated in the air above the key:

**_A battle of riddles and wits shall break_**

**_With only the daughter of Athena at stake._**

Bobby and Lacy paled as the key floated back down into the boy's hand. Instead of completely returning to normal—like Leo's key had—it kept glowing, the 'key' end pointing southwest, regardless of how much Bobby tried to move it.

Chiron cleared his throat. "So it seems a quest is in order," he stated.

The group shifted in their seats. Finally, Mark piped up, "So, who's gonna go and how? Obviously, that key is pointing to Annabeth, who probably isn't nearby like Leo was."

Bobby stood up. "I have to go. A battle of riddles and wits? That's my forte."

Lacy stood next to him. "Me too. Annabeth's my mother, too."

Chiron nodded to both of them. "Then who will be the third?"

Bobby shook his head. "No. I don't think this is a three-person quest."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" he began. "Well…I don't think this is going to be 'rescue Annabeth and find everyone else at the same time'. I think once we find Mom, there will probably only be just one more key—and it could be anyone's; Dad's, Frank's, Piper's…_anyone's_ key could pop up next."

"What are you getting at?" Marina McGuffey asked.

"I'm saying we need more than three people to rescue our parents. We need all the legacies—Me, Lacy, Mark, Sammy Leo, and Esperanza and Tulio. We all need to go."

Tulio shrank in his seat. Espie's mouth fell open. _All of us? That certainly would attract tons of monsters right off the bat._

It seemed Chiron was thinking the same thing. "Having six legacies—no, four Big Three legacies and two demititans—would be very dangerous."

"Wrong," Leo said. Espie jumped. Her _Papi_ hadn't spoken since he pulled out the key.

Chiron's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Pardon?"

"There won't be six," Leo said gruffly. He crossed his muscular arms. "Four Big Three legacies, two demititans, and one son of Hephaestus. I'm going, too."

The entire table burst into whispers. Espie and Tulio both looked at Leo incredulously. "But," Espie protested, "You haven't gone on a quest since…the Second Giant War!"

"I went on the one to get my memories of Calypso," Leo corrected. "And Percy, Hazel and I didn't even get hurt on that one."

"Still," Sally Vern said slowly. "You've been on a grand total of three quests, Mr. Valdez. Two of those happened over two decades ago."

Leo's hair ignited. His eyes glowed fiercely. "I will not sit idly by while my wife is in danger. If I don't go…"

He trailed off. Espie's widened. Her _Papi_ clutched his chest for a few seconds before dropping his hand again. _Oh_, she thought. Papi_ can't be separated from Mom for very long without feeling a tug from their life-string binding._

Tulio seemed to sense it, too. He scooted closer to Leo and placed a hand over his father's shoulder. Leo smiled at his son. Tulio turned to the group.

"_Papi_ has to go," he demanded. "Besides, when we rescue Annabeth, do you think she won't go, either, to rescue the others?"

Tulio had a fair point. The more parents they rescued, the bigger the group they'd get. Either way, this was going to end up with a huge group. What was one more?

Sammy Leo chimed in, "I don't think group size will be a problem. If I recall correctly, our parents seemed to have a giant warship that kept them safe from monsters in America, even if there were seven of them—eight counting Coach Hedge the satyr."

"You're actually suggesting you guys bring that _hunk of junk _out and ride in it?"

Espie didn't know which idiot counselor said that, but she knew they were immediately sorry they did.

Whatever sort of do-hickey thing was in Tulio's hand had melted and was now burning through the floor. An intense orange glow was suddenly surrounding him, and his eyes were completely orange—white part, irises, pupils; everything was taken over by a wall of orange. Tulio only did that when he was angry. And _boy_ was he angry. Espie rarely saw true angry scowls come over his face, but when they did, she was glad she was fireproof!

Leo was completely on fire now. He had burned through his chair and was now standing up to his full 5'6 height. That wouldn't have been scary, but Leo had muscles to back up threats now. His biceps were twitching and huge veins bulged out in anger. His burning feet were leaving dark impressions on the floor. His eyes were also glowing orange, but the difference between his and Tulio's was huge. Leo's eyes were actually on _fire_ like the rest of him.

"You wanna run that by me again?" her _Papi_ snarled, his voice extremely low and dark.

When no one spoke up to repeat the question, Leo growled, "If _anyone_ has a problem with my warship…please, don't hesitate to bring it up again!"

Tulio nodded, still glowing. "What do you think I do all day in Bunker Nine? Play 52 Card Pick-up? I keep the _Argo II_ up-to-date. I've even added a new figurehead/motherboard, since _Papi_ had to take Festus off. That ship is as spankin' hot as it was when it was first built!"

Tulio was standing now as well, since his chair—which had been one of those metal foldable chairs—was now a silver puddle on the floor.

Espie didn't do anything to stop this. She didn't understand her father and brother's love for machines, but she supported them no matter what.

It was still a frightening sight to see two fire-users, father and son, be so close to burning the Big House down, though.

Everyone except Espie, Sammy and the Jackson siblings backed up against the walls. Even Chiron had taken a tentative few steps back.

Espie finally stood up and walked around her _Papi_ to take Tulio's hand. Tulio glared at her, his titanic aura pressing her back. She gripped his hand harder and mumbled, "Don't feed off of _Papi_'s anger. You made your point. Calm down."

Tulio's glow disappeared and his eyes returned to normal. He slumped his shoulders and took deep breaths. "'Kay," he muttered.

Leo's fire fizzled out as well. He gave sharp looks to everyone in the room besides his twins, Sammy, and the Jackson kids. He looked like he was silently daring anyone to speak out against the _Argo II_ again.

Chiron stepped closer again and cleared his throat. "Ahem. Well, it seems we have a means of transportation. Tulio, how soon can the _Argo II_ be ready to depart?"

"As soon as everyone's ready," the demititan answered. "And I'd like _Papi_ to go over some final checks to make sure she's cleared."

"Don't worry about assigning a 'protector' satyr," Leo said to Chiron. "I'll be a chaperone—I'm totally old enough and responsible enough. And once we get Annabeth, we'll have two chaperones. And, by the way, I'm driving."

Sammy breathed a sigh of relief. When Lacy gave him a pointed look, he merely said, "What? I can barely drive a car! I doubt I'd be able to drive a ship!"

"It's just as well," Tulio said sheepishly. "I made modifications to the steering and controls that I don't think anyone besides me or _Papi_ could keep up with."

Leo clapped him on the back. "That's mah boy!"

"Fine," Chiron conceded. "Then, do all the legacies agree to going?"

Mark and Sammy Leo nodded. Bobby gripped his mother's key tightly, a look of pure determination on his face. Lacy lifted her chin defiantly. Espie smiled and stood proudly next to her brother.

Tulio shivered nervously. Espie gripped his hand again. She knew he was nervous. Tulio didn't do quests. Now, suddenly he was going to be on the biggest quest since the Prophecy of Seven. Eventually, Tulio nodded.

Chiron blinked slowly. "Then it's settled. We have the questers and the means of transportation. I have a feeling these clues will be the substitute for the usual prophecy, so we won't bother Rachel about one. Now the only thing left to decide: who shall lead this quest?"

The legacies shuffled nervously. Except for Tulio and Espie, the world's (currently) only two demititans, all of them were legacies of the Big Three. They all had awesome powers and gifts from their grandparents. And almost all of them had been on many quests already. Every single one of the legacies (minus perhaps Tulio) had every right to claim leadership, even Espie.

Espie looked over at Chiron and raised her hand.

"Esperanza?" Chiron questioned. "You wish to lead?"

"No," she stated. "I'm nominating Sammy Leo Zhang as the leader of our quest."

Sammy stuttered and blinked. "Me? Why me?"

"Because you technically have more experience," she said. "You've been a part of the Legion longer than the rest of us have been at camp. Yeah, sure, we've gone on quests, but you were _born_ to be a leader. You should be the leader of this quest."

Sammy didn't look convinced. His golden eyes were fixed to the ground, embarrassed that he had been called out. Espie felt her stomach do a flip when he acted so modest like that.

_Focus_, she scolded herself again, fighting back a blush. _Stop flipping over every time I see Sammy, traitorous stomach!_

Tulio was holding back a smile. Espie shot him a glare, knowing he could sense her ridiculous feelings.

Sammy spoke up again. "I appreciate the offer. And I accept, but on one condition: Leo has every right to challenge my authority—when it's necessary—since he's a hero of Olympus and our…uh…chaperone."

Chiron nodded. "So be it." He turned to the group. "You'd better get a good night's rest. Tomorrow you shall start your quest to find the rest of the Seven."

"_Ahem_," Leo coughed. "And Calypso."

The centaur nodded again. "And Calypso."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Yay! Quest time already! I know this story seems like it's going by pretty fast, but I'm trying to make it slower. Don't worry, there's still all the rescues plus finding out who's behind the kidnappings to write out :D Plenty of story left to entertain you guys!**_

_**Next chapter will be Bobby's POV, too! :D And we get to meet the new figurehead of the **_**Argo II_, since Festus has already been rebuilt and is currently living in New Athens with the Valdez family._**


	6. Bobby VI

**_TONIGHT! :D I GET BOO TONIGHT AT 8 PM! Because I live in Hawaii, my kindle delivers pre-orders at that time-mostly because that's midnight PST. So, technically speaking, I get BoO 4 hours ahead of schedule :D And then tomorrow after work I'm off to B&N to grab my preordered hard copy :) SUPER EXCITED~!_**

**_So, that being said, I will post TWO chapters today, both in Bobby's POV (how appropriate it be Percy's son)! One now, and one after work :D After that, be prepared to not see me until I finish BoO, which will probably be in, like, two days :P_**

**_Disclaimer: I own the kids/teens but not any of the canon characters._**

* * *

><p><strong>VI<strong>

**BOBBY**

Bobby Jackson would be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit afraid.

Going on a quest? Not Bobby's forte, like Tulio. He was a planner, an architect like his mother and grandmother. He didn't have his mother's ambition to lead or go on quests. He only went on quests if a prophecy specifically mentioned him—which, thankfully, hadn't been very many times.

Now he was expected to ride on this _gigantic_ warship to gods-know-where to find his missing mother! And that was only a start. He still had to stay on the warship to find his father and every other missing parent!

He was the youngest of the questers at 13, at most by three years (from Lacy); and at least by one year (from Mark). Gus, Aria and Zac would not be going on the quest—thank the gods—so Chiron actually arranged for them to stay in the Hephaestus and Ares Cabins. Aria wasn't a true legacy like Zac, but Chiron assured her it was okay for her to stay at camp until her parents and siblings returned. He even promised that all three of them would get a bead for spending their time as campers—even little Zac.

Bobby had poured over every single book he could find with riddles—even kids' books, for good measure. If there was a battle of riddles, he would need to know as many as possible. As for the wit part…well, he wasn't a legacy of Athena for nothing! He'd show anyone or any_thing_ that he was the master of wits!

He just hoped he wouldn't be facing spiders.

He shuddered at the thought as the _Argo II_ floated down to hover just above the omega of cabins. Bobby was really impressed. He'd never really seen the _Argo_, seeing as how going into Bunker Nine sounded more like a death wish if you weren't in the Hephaestus family.

But _dayum_! That ship was AWESOME!

From what Esperanza had told him this morning after breakfast, Tulio and Leo had spent pretty much the entire night going through final preparations to get the ship airborne after over two decades of sitting inside the bunker. Apparently, those final preps included completely installing the newest masthead—a kick-ass bronze dragon head that looked almost as awesome as Festus, the Valdez family's 'pet' automaton dragon.

This dragon head didn't have ruby eyes like Festus. Instead, two sapphire eyes gleamed down at the gathering campers, satyrs, and dryads. A huge collar was welded to its neck. Bobby squinted a bit to see if he was reading it right.

**_ICARUS_**

The Valdez duo lowered the gangplank. Leo was grinning proudly, his muscular arm wrapped around his son's scrawny shoulders. Bobby couldn't believe Leo had once been as scrawny as Tulio. He'd seen the pictures, and quite frankly, Bobby had to wonder if they were photoshopped or something. There was _no_ way Leo had built this giant warship almost single-handedly and still had managed to be stick-thin.

Speaking of which, how had _Tulio_ managed to _not_ gain some muscle while building that dragon figurehead? That thing was enormous and very high-tech. And yet Tulio…

_The Valdez family must have some weird metabolism that prevents them from gaining muscle until they hit adulthood_, Bobby concluded. _That can be the only answer…_

"All hands on deck," Leo yelled. "Let's get this show on the road!"

Sammy Leo bro-hugged Gus, muttering, "We'll be back soon, Gus. Don't let the Ares campers bully you. Think of it as a test of courage and strength before you go to the Wolf House. Trust me; if you can survive the nastiness of our Ares cousins, you can survive Lupa!"

Gus didn't look to thrilled about it, but nodded as Sammy walked onto the _Argo II_.

Espie waved goodbye to Aria and Zac as she followed Sammy. Apparently, the Valdez family had already said their farewells. Say what you will about them, they knew how to cope with situations and get down to business.

Mark followed Espie. Bobby saw him blush and his blue eyes flashed, but with what, he didn't know.

Finally, Lacy grabbed Bobby's hand. She smiled at him, her green eyes sparkling. "Ready to go, lil' Bob?"

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Yeah, let's go."

He was about to step onto the gangplank, but Lacy held him back.

"What?" he demanded.

She smiled sadly. "We'll find Mom and Dad. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried," he lied. He was downright terrified that he might not be able to win this battle of wits, but he was the only one among the seven of them—Leo included—that could even come _close_ to winning it.

Lacy gave him a withering look. Then, she sighed. "Get on the ship, bozo. We'll discuss how bad a liar you are when we're in the air."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Bobby was sitting next to the dragon head at the bow of the <em>Argo II<em>, examining the workmanship. The bronze that formed it was different than the rest of the ship. Bobby knew Leo had built the _Argo II_ long ago while Tulio had just recently finished the dragon head, but he didn't realize how different their styles of forging were.

Where Leo's craftsmanship was sort of bumpy and excited (and probably rushed from the deadline he had had when first building the ship), Tulio's was smooth and patient. Bobby could almost see where the fire and hammer had touched Leo's metal, whereas when it came to Tulio's, there wasn't any sign of fire or beating at all—which was intriguing, to say the least. Each style was different, but both of them were clearly masters of their trade.

Bobby stroked the figurehead's metal plates. The dragon seemed to purr, but Bobby put that out of his mind. Dragons didn't purr—especially if they weren't even alive.

"Icarus likes you."

Bobby jumped and turned. Tulio stood there, his head tilted slightly, a smile playing on his lips.

"Pardon?" Bobby asked.

Tulio walked up and stroked the dragon in the same spot. The dragon purred more intensely. The demititan glanced at Bobby. "Icarus likes it when someone pays attention to him. He says he likes you since you're the first person outside the family to notice him. Congrats."

"Icarus," Bobby mused. "You named it Icarus? After Daedalus' son? The one who fell to his death after flying too high with false wings?"

"The very one," Tulio said, grinning. "I feel like Icarus deserves to fly after what happened to him. Even though this Icarus isn't the same one from the past, I figured it'd be a nice gesture."

Bobby nodded. "As long as this one doesn't cause the _Argo II_ to fall apart and make us fall to our deaths, I'm okay with it." He stroked the dragon again. "Icarus is a really great dragon, though. We're lucky to have him."

Icarus's teeth rotated and whirred. Tulio patted him. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get a big ego. You still gotta impress Festus when we get back."

"Those two haven't met yet?"

Tulio smiled. "Nah. I'm kinda working on building Icarus a body. I'm making it so he'll be easy to attach and detach to both the ship and his body on a whim. Icarus's head is actually three times lighter than Festus's. Still took me a while to install him, though."

Icarus growled playfully.

Bobby shuffled his feet. "Tulio," he began. "Do you feel…nervous?"

"About what?"

"About…this quest," the legacy of Athena answered. "I just…I feel like I'm gonna puke every time I think about my mom and how I'm gonna have to win a 'battle of riddles and wits'…"

Tulio patted his shoulder. "'Course I'm nervous. I suck at quests. Hence why I don't go on them often. But, I keep thinking this is for my mother. I would go to the ends of the Earth for her, and so would my _Papi_ and Espie. Sure, I'm nervous, but then again who wouldn't be in this situation?"

Bobby nodded. It was weird to think that the demititan had been on fewer quests than him. Tulio was powerful, even if he didn't think so himself. He was a master healer—almost as good as Apollo—an inventor and mechanic that could rival Hephaestus, an internal fire user that could melt anything, and had the strength and teleportation powers of a Titan. Yet, despite having so much power, Tulio always felt inferior to those around him (besides Espie and Leo). Go figure.

Bobby glanced behind Tulio. Leo was at the helm, looking totally at home. The 37-year-old man was delicately holding Annabeth's key while juggling a Wii remote, keyboard, game cube controller and a Mario Kart steering wheel. _Apparently_, that was how extremely ADHD Hephaestus children steered ships. The helm was basically just for show…

Tulio smiled at Bobby. "Don't worry about that riddle thing. Try to do what my _Papi_ does; go with the flow and try not to worry about the future. It'll come when it's supposed to, not when you want it."

"Yeah, well, I hope it hurries up," Bobby groaned. "I'd like to get this over with."

"Oi, boys!"

Bobby and Tulio turned back towards Leo. Mr. Valdez was currently cocking an eyebrow at the key in his hand, which was now glowing brighter and pointing at a downward angle.

"I think we're getting close to Annabeth," he called, waving his Wii remote and causing the ship to descend. "Get ready to land, boys!"

Tulio wandered over to the side of the ship and gazed down. "Where are we?"

Bobby followed suit. He had never been to this city, but he would recognize it anywhere. Built next to a huge river, this city had a piece of architecture that Bobby's parents had once visited. Bobby had always wanted to go see it.

The _Argo II_ landed next to the Gateway Arch and floated in the Mississippi River.

They were in St. Louis, Missouri.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Haven't been there in a while, have they? I'd say that's my hometown, but I'd be lying. I'm actually from 50 miles SW of St. Louis :)**_

_**Did you guys like Icarus the dragon? I've been in a sort of Icarus mood lately and after I read BoO will probably write a little one-shot about him (the kid, not the dragon).**_


	7. Bobby VII

**_FIVE hours! Five hours and BoO is mine :D_**

**_For those who SOMEHOW already have it (*cough*Rickismean*cough*) PLEASE DON'T SPOIL IT FOR THE REST OF US D:_**

**_Blue Shadow: Cool. I'd love to see Scotland one day :)_**

**_Flaming Ginger: I doubt it. He had a solid part in BotL with no loose ends. When I think of Icarus I think of the crazy inventor kid in the Hercules series. Horribly inaccurate to the tale, but I loved him as a character :) He was like an extremely sun-baked version of Leo!_**

**_No, Icarus is male, sorry catsrawesome_**

**_And to clear up why Aria is not a true legacy like Zac or Tulio and Espie, here is the explanation I PMed to NyssaFire for future reference:_**

**_I have this headcanon where not all grandchildren are legacies. Yes, some (like Octavian) have the powers and show all the signs of being a legacy, but some grandchildren and below just don't have it. Think of the whole 'oh, well the tallness skipped my generation' excuse. It's all in the genes. Aria got most of her mortal genes from Leo's mother's side. Aria is mortal, but is allowed in camp probably because she was born within the boundaries. Steve (the resident monster) confirmed that she doesn't smell like a legacy and would be able to survive in the real world without monsters bugging or trying to eat her. :) Hope that cleared it up._**

**_And with that, here is the final pre-written chapter I have and the last one I will update until I finish BoO. Regardless of how it ends, this is (after all) an AU, as I previously stated in Papi._**

**_Disclaimer: I own the kids/teens but not any of the canon characters._**

**_Oh, I also don't own the riddles. The first was one I found on the interwebs. The second was from one of my favorite books when I was little :)_**

* * *

><p><strong>VII<strong>

**BOBBY**

If it wasn't for the fact that his mother was still missing and possibly held captive inside, Bobby would have been thrilled at the idea of going into the Arch.

The key was glowing more intensely when they got close to the Arch. The questers had decided to adopt the two-or-three-demigods group method that the Seven had used when they had to journey off the ship. The group going inside the arch was Lacy and Bobby, with Leo 'chaperoning'. The other legacies and demititans would wait aboard the _Argo II_ in case the Arch decided it needed to blow up a second time (Bobby's father, Percy, had generously provided the first Arch explosion decades ago).

As they neared, Bobby noticed the sun was pretty much down. He knew the Arch was open until 10 PM, so why was there someone blocking the elevators with a sign that said 'CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS'? Wouldn't at least one be open for business?

Leo strode up to the guy like there wasn't a problem. The mortals in the area gave the son of Hephaestus wide berth, since he seemed to have an air of authority—that was so out of character for him. Bobby always saw him with a smile on his face. But now, there wasn't a smile present. It was kinda scary.

_Being away from Calypso must be doing a number on his nerves_, Bobby thought as he and Lacy followed the adult.

"Can I help you?" the security guard asked. He seemed bored.

"Yeah," Leo answered, plastering on a fake grin. Bobby almost couldn't tell it wasn't real. "We're part of the repair crew."

The guard eyed him warily. "Really? You, I'll believe. But the kids?"

Leo shrugged. "My apprentices. I'm showin' them the ropes."

_He's good_, Bobby thought. _Leo can just throw out lies like it's nothing!_

The guard didn't seem convinced. Leo rolled his eyes and pushed past him with ease. "Coming, _apprentices_?"

Bobby and Lacy rushed past the guard and the three piled into the elevator before anyone could protest further. Leo pushed the button and the elevator doors shut.

"That's how you do it," Leo said, tilting his chin a little higher. "Pays to be an adult, huh?"

Lacy rolled her eyes. "You probably would've said the same thing if you were our age, Mr. Valdez," she challenged.

"None of that," he said gruffly. "We're all on one team, here. Last names are out the window. It's Leo."

Bobby smiled.

* * *

><p>The elevator halted in its ascension after a while. The doors opened slowly.<p>

It was eerily dark up at the top of the Arch. Like, _spooky_ dark. The viewing windows were blocked, letting absolutely no light in.

Leo lit up his hand and gestured to Bobby. "After you," he said calmly.

Bobby gulped and held up the key. It was white hot now, pointing directly into the darkness of the viewing area. Bobby led the way through the blackness, thankful that they had a glowing key and Leo's flames to light the way. Though, he would've preferred the lights to be on.

Suddenly, he got his wish.

The inner lights flicked on. Leo's flame went out, but the key grew ever hotter. Bobby took one look at the other side of the Arch's observation deck and sucked in a breath.

A huge Sphinx was curled up, almost taking up the entire height of the deck. It was old, far older than Bobby would have liked. Her hair was white and tangled, her claws long and gnarled. And her fur? If she had mange it would have been an improvement.

The Sphinx locked her large green eyes onto the group. "Welcome, godlings," she said, her voice scratchy and hoarse.

Bobby stepped forward nervously. "Where's Annabeth?" he asked, trying not to squeak. He felt awkward using his mother's name, but the Sphinx probably would have waved it off if he had said 'my mother'.

The Sphinx tilted her head, her expression bored. "Down to business, eh? You must be a son of Athena."

"Legacy, actually," he corrected. "I'm a legacy of Athena and Poseidon together."

The Sphinx curled her lip into a smile. "I bet that just made those two _thrilled_. It's rare to see their children cooperate, let alone _breed_."

Bobby tried to ignore that statement. "I'll ask again: Where's my mother, Annabeth Jackson?"

The Sphinx rose up onto her haunches and gestured behind her. Bobby squinted and held back a gasp.

There was Annabeth, lying on a table, bound in chains and unconscious. Bobby felt anger boil in his stomach. He took a step forward.

The Sphinx lashed her tail. "Now, now, legacy of Athena. You can't just _have_ her. That'd be too easy."

Lacy gripped her brother's shoulder.

Leo spoke up, "So what do we have to do to get her? Fight you?"

The Sphinx yawned, revealing huge yellow cavity-filled teeth. "I'm too old for combat. Besides, that's not what Sphinxes like myself do. We must give out riddles."

Bobby gulped. He hadn't expected the battle of riddles and wits to be with a Sphinx. Annabeth had once told him that Sphinxes don't give out the 'what walks on four legs' riddle anymore, instead giving out a whole stupid test.

He gazed around. There didn't seem to be any test papers or grading machines to suggest an exam.

The Sphinx gazed steadily at Bobby. "My cousins prefer new-school methods such as full tests. I hate asking so many questions in one go. So, legacy of Athena, let me explain my rules.

"First: only you may participate. I would say Athena-blood-only, but I have noticed you have a sister."

Bobby was okay with that. Lacy had their father's…lack of higher intelligence, for lack of a better phrase…

"Second: I will ask you _one_ riddle. If you guess correctly, then you will ask me _one_ riddle. If I can't guess the riddle, you win your mother's freedom."

"Just like that?" Leo asked, sounding apprehensive.

"Just like that." The Sphinx stretched. "Battles aren't my style, and I can see I'm clearly outnumbered. Why would I be stupid enough to challenge you to a fight?"

Bobby shivered. This Sphinx wasn't like the one his mother fought years ago. This one had lived a long time, long enough to know how to pick and choose a battle. And certainly long enough to hear every riddle man had come up with.

He was doomed.

"And if I lose?" Bobby asked. "Say I can't figure out your riddle. Or, you figure out mine. What happens then?"

The Sphinx regarded him. "Nothing. You lose. End of story. You go home. Send for a proper Athena descendant or something. Maybe I'll eat your mother. I don't know."

_Only the daughter of Athena at stake_.

Bobby nodded. "Okay. I accept the rules."

He stepped forward and got close to the Sphinx, much closer than he would've liked. He glanced at his mother and inhaled deeply, puffing out his chest. "Let's play."

The Sphinx nodded and said, "Give me a moment. I want to see which riddle would be appropriate for you."

She started mumbling to herself. Bobby could hear her mutter, "No, not that one. No, that's too easy."

Finally, she turned her head back towards Bobby and growled, "I've got one. Ready?"

"Ready."

"_I am the beginning of the end,_

_And the end of time and space._

_I am essential to creation,_

_And I surround every place._

_What am I?_"

Bobby put a finger to his chin. _Geeze. Okay, beginning of the end…essential to creation?_

He looked over at his mother, still lying unconscious on the table. He was close enough now that he could see a lock in the shape of an owl fused into her chest.

"Would you like me to repeat that, legacy of Athena?" the Sphinx said, yawning.

_Well, at least she doesn't gloat,_ Bobby thought, nodding.

The Sphinx repeated the riddle. Bobby mulled over it in his head for a few minutes, thanking the gods this Sphinx wasn't impatient. She seemed interested in the challenge, but wasn't annoyed at the fact he was taking forever. It finally hit him that she possibly didn't care one way or the other if he got it right; she just wanted to see if he could stump her with his own riddle.

Finally, Bobby internally face-palmed. He had seen this riddle before. And it was rather easy to guess when you read it, but if it was said, it became just a smidge harder.

He knew the answer. "The answer is the letter E."

The Sphinx nodded. "Correct. Now, it's your turn. Try and stump me with your riddle, if you dare."

'If you dare' gave Bobby a great idea. He knew this Sphinx probably knew the answer to every basic and ancient riddle known to man. So, he would try for a children's book riddle. It was risky, but the riddle itself was a trick question that one wouldn't know unless they read the book.

"Mine's a song riddle," he announced. "And I shall repeat it twice, just so you can get it all. Ready?"

"Ready," the Sphinx said, perking up her ears.

And so Bobby began:

"_Sorceress Thaegan gulps her favorite food,_

_I__n her cave with all her brood__._

_A__nd the names of her children are,_

_Hot, Tot, Jin, Jod,_

_Fle, Fie, Zan, Zod, Pik, Snik,_

_Lun, Lod_

_A__nd of course the dreaded Ichabod__._

_Each child holds a slimy toad,_

_On each toad squirm 2 fat grubs__,_

_On each grub ride 2 fleas brave__._

_Here's my riddle and so beware,_

_A__nswer this riddle now if you dare,_

_H__ow many things are living in Thaegan's cave?_"

This was a _huge_ risk, but Bobby couldn't think of any other riddle that might stump the Sphinx. He prayed to any god that would listen that this Sphinx hadn't read _Deltora Quest_.

"Please repeat," she asked, though she sounded like she had already guessed her answer.

So, Bobby repeated the riddle, trying very hard not to emphasize 'favorite food'.

The Sphinx waved a paw. "Asking me a number riddle, of all things. You should have at least made it difficult. Easy addition. All the children and their little toads, grubs and fleas add up to 104. However, you tried to use the trick that I would ignore this Sorceress Thaegan in the cave. So, the answer is…"

Bobby held his breath. _Please get it wrong. Please get it wrong._

"105."

Bobby was cheering in his head. The Sphinx had gotten it WRONG!

"HA!" he exclaimed suddenly, taking the Sphinx by surprise. He heard someone jump behind him.

"Holy Hephaestus," Leo spoke up. "That scared the shit outta me."

Bobby ignored him and grinned up at the Sphinx. "You're wrong."

The Sphinx blinked and started counting on her paws. She looked at him with a sneer. "No. I am correct. The answer is 105. Your math is wrong."

Bobby shook his head. "Nope. Anyone who's _anyone_ would be able to answer this riddle. Everyone knows what Sorceress Thaegan's favorite food is." He grinned evilly. "One whole, _live_ raven. The answer is 106! IN YO FACE!"

The Sphinx glared at him and snarled. "A _raven_!? How am I supposed to know that if it wasn't in the riddle! You cheated!"

Bobby tried to keep calm and crossed his arms, lifting his chin. "If you're such an all-knowing Sphinx, you would've known the answer to that silly children's riddle. It's not my problem you didn't know such basic information."

The Sphinx lifted her paw like she was going to smack him. Bobby held his ground. The clue had said a battle of riddles and wits. He solved the riddle and used his wits to trick the Sphinx. As far as he was concerned, Annabeth was free to go.

The Sphinx slammed her paw down onto the ground. She growled ferociously for a moment, but calmed herself. She looked at Bobby with discomfort.

"Very well," she conceded. "Annabeth Jackson is free to go, as are the rest of you. But before I leave, might I know where you got this so-called _children's_ riddle?"

Bobby smiled. "Certainly. It's from a book series called _Deltora Quest_. It's a pretty good series, all things considered."

The Sphinx nodded. "Then I shall use that riddle next time one of my cousins try to bother me with their test scores…"

She rose up on her haunches and clapped her paws. The lights went out.

Two seconds later, the lights turned back on. The old Sphinx was gone.

Bobby rushed over to his mother and unlocked her. The chains disappeared and the lock and key absorbed themselves into Annabeth's skin.

Annabeth's eyes opened. She looked right at Bobby.

"Bobby?" she asked. "Where are we?"

Bobby smiled and hugged her. "We're in the Arch, Mom."

Annabeth looked like she wanted to say something, but stopped short. Her fingers traced her pants pocket before reaching in and grabbing something.

Her hand came out grasping a golden key with the end shaped in a lightning bolt.

Bobby instantly knew the owner of that key.

It was Jason's key.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Alrighty. Hope you guys enjoyed those daily updates, cause they ain't happening again for a while :P Sacrifices sacrifices.**_

_**Anyway, Jason's next on the rescue list, with Mark coming up in the POVs :)**_


	8. Mark VIII

**_I was halfway through BoO before the 7th even arrived! xD That was hilarious!_**

**_But the book though D: Jeebus dat book! DAMN NICO U SCURRY! That part with Bryce made my imagination run wild and I thought, 'holy shizz we need to up the age on this series.'_**

**_Loved the ending! I thought it was great for Rick to end it like that, just so he could reuse the characters later if he wanted, instead of setting a future in stone like the end of HP. Plus, it was like saying, 'Here fanfiction authors! Have fun writing your stories!'_**

**_And I'm so proud of myself :) If Rick hadn't made Leo tell everyone about Calypso, that ending would have been PAPI's beginning to a tee (except, y'know, one month earlier)! :D *tears up* I think I mentally linked with Rick at some point and that's how that happened! :3_**

**_Anyway, here's a Mark chapter. Not much going on here, it seems. Kinda filler, but there is a point to it. You see into Mark's thoughts a bit and how he handles being Jason's son._**

**_Plus, y'know, icky romantic Aphrodite strikes again! xD_**

**_Disclaimer: If I was Rick, I'd be throwing ships into Tartarus. Have I done that? No. Kids/Teens are mine, still._**

* * *

><p><strong>VIII<strong>

**MARK**

Mark Grace sat in his room, reading an old Steve Berry book, _The Alexandria Link_. He had read it multiple times already. His mother had given it to him for his birthday a few years back, courtesy of Tristan McLean using his famous status to get a Latin version—which was _very_ hard to do. Mark could read both Latin and Greek no problem, but he was still dyslexic in English. He preferred Latin, even though he was _definitely_ a Greek legacy—no Roman stiffness in his blood, no sir.

He tried not to look out the window. Though the ship was docked, Mark didn't want to look outside, since his room was still pretty high up off the ground.

He had shut himself up in his room (which—fun fact—used to be his father's room) ever since the adventure began. He begged Leo not to get him to come on deck for _any_ reason during their flight. When Leo had asked why, Mark had embarrassingly said he was afraid of heights.

Yes.

Mark Grace, the legacy of Jupiter and Aphrodite together.

And he was afraid of heights.

What a shocker.

He didn't know why he was afraid. It just seemed like a rational fear: y'know, you're way up high, falling to your death, then suddenly _SPLAT_! You become a human pancake.

Mark had confided in his father about it. Jason was understanding, saying that his sister Thalia suffered the same problem, and when the time arose, she could deal with it for a short while—albeit deal with it while acting like she was going to die. Jason had ruffled Mark's scruffy hair and told him that everyone has a fear, and as a demigod/legacy, eventually you had to face it, sometimes in ways you never imagined. He believed Mark could face that fear and conquer it.

Mark wasn't so sure. He could manipulate winds just as well as he could manipulate people with his charmspeak (which he hated to do with a passion). But when it came to flying—oh, Hades, just kill him now. Mark had actually tried to fly before. He rose up three feet off the ground, nearly peed his pants, and crashed back down.

Heights just wasn't his thing.

He read over the part in his book about Cotton Malone pushing his ex-wife out of an airplane. _Glad that's not me_, he conceded in his mind. _I would probably die of a heart attack before the chute even opened…_

It was still hilarious to read, though.

A knock at the door made him look up. Esperanza was standing there, giving a lopsided grin. "What up?" she said.

"Not much," Mark answered, closing his book. "Need something? The others in trouble?"

Espie shrugged. "Dunno. The Arch isn't smoking, so I guess that's a good sign. Just came to see if you were doin' okay in here. You haven't come out of this room since we took off."

Mark shrugged as well. "I'm as okay as I'll get on a flying boat, I suppose. I'd rather be afraid of heights than get seasick, though."

"Don't make fun of Hazel," Espie warned playfully.

Mark grinned. "I wasn't." Then, he looked around the cabin, his smile fading into a content thin line.

Espie seemed to understand. "Hard to believe this thing was in tatters once upon a time, huh?"

"Yeah," Mark said. "I can't believe how much work Leo and Tulio put into this thing. You almost can't tell Zeus slapped the tar out of it and made it crash like a comet, huh?"

Espie laughed. "Yeah. Whoever said this thing was a 'hunk of junk' should've been shot through. It's just as good as it used to be!"

"It's better than it used to be—kudos to Tulio on that. I just wish I had seen it when it was first introduced to the world."

"Bet'cha my _Papi_ had the biggest grin on his face."

"He probably would've looked like a Latino Cheshire Cat!"

They laughed. Espie gave a tiny snort, which Mark thought was kinda cute.

Mark paused again. "It's so weird that we're on the same ship our parents were on when they went to Greece…"

"Yeah." Espie shifted on her feet. "I'm staying in my dad's old room and it's just so strange; To think they defeated Gaea in this bad boy."

"They didn't," Mark corrected. "They defeated the Giants in this. Leo defeated Gaea on Festus."

"Your parents helped, too."

Mark drew circles on his sheets with his fingers. "I guess they did," he conceded.

Suddenly Esperanza was on the bed, sitting next to him. "What's with the face?"

Mark sighed. "I guess…I just feel pressured…"

"How?"

"Just about this quest. I'm feeling immense pressure because I'm expected to rescue my parents in the most _glorious_ fashion possible, because gods forbid I do anything imperfectly!"

Espie scrunched up her nose. That was cute, too. "Why would people want you to do things so perfectly?"

"Well," he began. "My dad is a son of Jupiter. He was elected _pontifex maximus_ by the Roman Senate and roamed between the camps to make sure every god or goddess got a shrine. My mom's possibly the greatest and prettiest child of Aphrodite to ever live. She _permanently_ activated Festus with her charmspeak _and_ managed to put Gaea to sleep so Leo could incinerate her. My parents were a big part of the Seven…then there's me."

Espie cocked an eyebrow. "What's wrong with _you_?"

"What isn't? I'm a legacy of Jupiter that can't fly because I'm afraid of heights; I'm a legacy of Aphrodite who hates his charmspeak and chooses to dress in tattered clothes because I hate all that attention; I'm always being compared to the greatness that is my parents and can't even come close to their awesomeness…" He put his face in his palms, his brown bangs tickling the back of his hands.

Espie snorted. "Seriously? Let me list off the things about you in _my_ perspective. You're a legacy of Jupiter that can't fly but can still manipulate winds and conjure up mini-storms; you're a legacy of Aphrodite who can charmspeak anyone (including your parents) that dresses grungy and still manages to be the hottest guy in Camp Half-Blood; you're the child of Jason Grace and Piper McLean. You're Mark Grace. Why are you trying to be your father and mother combined when you're great at being you?"

Mark looked up at her. "You mean that?"

"Totally," she said. "And we're all pretty much in the same boat. Take me and Tulio: Because we're demititans, everyone always expects us to excel at _everything_. Then, because we're Leo's reflections, they start comparing us to him! Everyone looks at _Papi_ and says, 'Wow, Leo's so great! He defeated Gaea on his own! He came back to life! He rescued Calypso from Ogygia! His kids must be super awesome!'"

She gave him a withered look. "You see what I'm gettin' at? I handle the pressure from others well because I choose to ignore it. I prove to the world that I'm not the 'firstborn daughter of Leo Valdez'. I prove to them that I'm Esperanza Grace Valdez! Tulio can't handle that pressure and hides himself away so he won't be judged. But I know for a fact that even though he's my twin, he's got way more power than I'll ever get. But, he got _Papi_'s fatal flaw of inferiority. He thinks he's the worst demi_ whatever_ in the world. He's not, and neither are you."

Mark looked at Espie in awe. The fire user had always struck him as rash and super hyper. A disaster waiting to happen, just like her father. He never really knew she had such a soft side. Did that come from comforting her brother all the time?

He tried to beat down the blush rising in his cheeks when the sunlight from the window rested on her curls, making her look absolutely stunning! He never actually noticed how beautiful she was, either. She dressed like Mark: baggy clothes, loose ponytail, old worn sneakers. She tried very hard to not look like a girl.

And that made her so much more…beautiful!

_Stop that, Grandmother!_ he scolded Aphrodite in his head.

Suddenly, the intercom buzzed and Tulio's voice rang out: "_They're back guys. Annabeth's with them. Everyone on deck immediately. Especially Mark._"

Mark exchanged a glance with Espie—were her eyes always so deep chocolate? He shook the traitorous Aphrodite thoughts away and ran out of the room with the legacy of Hephaestus.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Oh? What have we here? Aphrodite seems to have something in store for our little Esperanza, doesn't she? :3**_

_**And you thought I would make it easy and just say, "Here, have some Saspie!" (Sammy x Espie ship name copyright: me)**_

_**Do I ever make things that easy?**_

_**Btw, like how I made it so the Argo II still kinda exists in this world? Here's my explanation: When Leo returned after Papi (whichever version, doesn't matter) he decided to fix the Argo in his spare time. When Tulio grew up and went to camp, he took on the job. See? Easy to correlate to canon, isn't it?**_


	9. Mark IX

**_A bit on the short side, but I didn't want this to drag into the rescue right away. I wanted to get some Annabeth time in here before Jason's rescue._**

**_Sorry about the wait, though. I've been kinda busy what with being hit in the face with plot-bunnies by the Muses when it comes to _Papi_ Version Two. I love both stories and will continue writing them, don't worry. It's just sometimes one story slaps me with plot and makes me write it down while the other takes the sidelines. I do that. Deal with it._**

**_Hey! I wanna see what y'all think on shipping my OCs. :D_**

**_Espark/Marspie (Mark x Esperanza)_**

**_OR_**

**_Saspie (Sammy x Esperanza)_**

**_I have a plot figured out already, but I wanna see who all thinks which ship will sail :) Vote now! I'll try and keep a tally at the end of each chapter leading up to when it will be relevant._**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids are mine._**

* * *

><p><strong>IX<strong>

**MARK**

Mark wasn't surprised to learn that one of his parents' keys would be next. After all, Tulio had specifically called him out.

He was not thrilled about the clue, however.

It wasn't like he hated his father. He would do _anything_ for Jason.

Except one thing.

"Come here, Mark," Leo prompted, Annabeth leaning on his shoulder. "Jason's key hasn't lit up yet."

Mark walked over to the adults, nervous as all get-out. "Why me?"

Annabeth yawned. "After Leo told me about Bobby activating my key," she said tiredly. "I have a hunch you'll be the one who can activate Jason's…"

Mark looked over at Bobby. The 13-year-old was beaming proudly. Lacy was standing off to the side, looking highly annoyed.

"Careful, Bob," the legacy of Poseidon warned. "You already got Grandma's big head. Don't make it bigger."

"Lacy," Annabeth growled. "First of all: Don't insult Athena. Your grandmother can still strike you down. Secondly: Let your brother gloat for a day. He deserves it after tricking that Sphinx."

Mark blinked. _Bobby_ took down a Sphinx? _Well done, dude. Well done…_

"And lastly," Annabeth continued. She yawned again. "I'm gonna go take a nap. Wake me up when it gets interesting…"

Leo and Lacy helped Annabeth downstairs. Bobby held out a golden key with the end shaped like a lightning bolt.

Mark nervously took it in his hand.

Instantly, it began to glow and hover. Words appeared above the key.

**_The son of Lightning is hard to get near,_**

**_So his legacy must face his greatest fear._**

Mark nearly screamed. _My greatest fear?_

He knew he was going to have to face terrible heights to get to his father, no doubt about that. And it wasn't like there was another Jason Grace legacy running around anywhere. Mark was the one and only Grace child.

_But how high will I have to go?_ he thought despairingly. _I really don't want to have to climb up a mountain or anything…_

The other legacies (Tulio—driving—and Lacy excluded) gathered around Mark and watched as the key began to point West. Mark gulped.

Bobby put a hand on his shoulder, which was hard because he was, like, a foot shorter than Mark. "Hey, don't worry," he comforted. "I'm sure you can face your fear."

Mark sighed. "I sure hope so," he said, though he didn't sound as confident as he might've wanted. "I'm gonna go back down to my room."

He handed the key to Esperanza. "Give this to Tulio," he told her, not even looking at her face.

* * *

><p>Mark didn't go into his room right away. He decided to hide out in the mess hall instead. He told the plate to give him some tofu-chicken stir-fry—his favorite dish that his mom loved to make. Mark wasn't vegetarian like Piper, but he respected his mother's wishes and ate vegetarian around her when he could.<p>

He picked at the vegetables on his plate.

Someone sat down next to him, causing him to jump. He turned his head and saw Annabeth sitting there. He didn't see Lacy or Leo, so Mark assumed they both had gone above once they knew the daughter of Athena was strong enough.

Annabeth smiled sadly. "So, what's on your mind, Sora?"

Mark smiled a little at his nickname. The adults mostly called him that to his face. Others around his age either didn't get the joke or just called him Mark. He liked it both ways.

"I'm just a little…nervous, that's all."

Annabeth's grey eyes didn't move. She merely cocked an eyebrow and said, "Tell me what Jason's key said."

"Shouldn't you be resting?"

She rolled her eyes. "I was going to, but then I noticed a certain legacy of Aphrodite sulking around. Plus, y'know, I'm kinda hungry."

To prove this, she pulled over a plate and made blue cupcakes appear. Why the Jackson family was so obsessed with blue food, Mark would never know. She munched on a cupcake, signaling with her hand for Mark to tell her the clue.

Mark sighed and conceded. "Well…it said '_The son of Lightning is hard to get near, so his legacy must face his greatest fear_'…"

Annabeth swallowed. "So, obviously that means you facing your fear of heights."

Mark bowed his head. "Yeah…"

Annabeth giggled a little. "Don't be so ashamed of it. Thalia's scared of heights and she's a _daughter_ of Zeus."

"But how does she deal with it as a Hunter? Wouldn't that mean she has to go up on mountains and stuff?"

"Well," the adult drawled. "I supposed if she has to be on a cliff or high place for a little bit, she just swallows that lump in her throat and deals with it. I remember when Jason said she was extremely nervous about going to Aeolus's palace, but she was still brave and crossed without too much problem—that is, until Leo melted the bridge, but that's a whole different reason to be afraid."

Mark smiled. He remembered that story, but he had never thought about his Aunt Thalia doing such a brave thing. He just paid attention to Leo melting the bridge with his body heat and Jason catching him and Piper while Thalia ran back.

"The point is," Annabeth said, "we all have that one fear that makes us freeze up. For me and Percy, it's losing each other. Right now, I'm worried about him, but I have to swallow that fear for the sake of Lacy and Bobby. I know Sammy Leo had to face his fear of the dark when it came time for him to visit Lupa."

Mark had forgotten the Roman was deathly afraid of the dark—another ironic fear, considering Sammy was a legacy of Pluto. Maybe it was because he was more Mars than Pluto or something…

"But how will I do it?" Mark pleaded. "How will I be able to face my fear of heights? I can't even get on a Ferris Wheel!"

Annabeth shrugged. "That's something only you can answer, Mark." She took another cupcake. "When the time comes, only _you_ can face your fear. Jason won't do it for you. You must do it for him."

Mark nodded, still feeling defeated, yet oddly relieved. He liked talking to Mrs. Jackson. She was a great listener. "Okay," he said softly. "I just hope I don't have to climb on top of a huge mountain in order to save him."

Annabeth picked up her plate of blue cupcakes and started to walk away. Before she exited the mess hall, she turned and smiled. "I'm sure you won't have to climb a mountain, Sora…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So, I'm gonna try and static the POV's. I don't want it to be just two per person. I don't want that kind of challenge, especially if it means trying to bend it while fighting writer's block. That's not how I roll. So, next will be Mark's third chapter :D Yipee!**_

_**Gosh Mark is such a whiny-baby, isn't he? :P**_


	10. Mark X

**_Okay, very quick post before I head off to work. Have fun with this. :)_**

**_Ship votes are at the bottom._**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids are mine._**

* * *

><p><strong>X<strong>

**MARK**

_"I'm sure you won't have to climb a mountain…"_

Mark was two things right now: Happy and dismayed.

Happy because Annabeth was right; he wouldn't have to climb a mountain to get to Jason.

Dismayed because it was way worse than climbing a measly mountain.

When the _Argo II_ landed, they were next to the Grand Canyon. Mark, Annabeth and Espie disembarked and went into the building that sat on the edge with the glass skywalk over the drop.

Mark had asked if Leo would go with them, but the son of Hephaestus shook his head. "I had a bad experience there. If you have to battle a bunch of _venti_ to get to Jason, especially over the Grand Canyon, count me out."

Espie leaned in to tell him, "Coach Hedge saved him twice. He still has nightmares about it."

Mark chuckled.

Annabeth wanted to stretch her legs, so she had decided to go as the adult chaperone. Mark was okay with that. Now he had two people who could help keep him calm.

Though he was still secretly excited Espie volunteered to go with him.

Anyway, there they were, on the glass skywalk overlooking the canyon. And there Jason was; floating unconsciously high above. Too high for the trio to just climb on top of each other's shoulders.

And too far for Mark to just reach out.

"Why don't we just get the _Argo II_ to grab him?" Mark asked. "Didn't Tulio mention that he installed a grabber-arm? Perfect time to use it!"

Espie shook her head. "Tulio said he saw Jason clearly when we neared and tried lowering down to get him. There's some sort of force keeping us from reaching him. We can't manipulate winds, so…"

Mark did _not_ like where this was going.

"Are you sure?" he asked timidly. "We could try again…?"

Annabeth led him to the edge of the glass. He peered down and instantly got vertigo. He looked away, feeling bile rise in his throat.

Annabeth patted him on the back. "Try not to look down, Sora. Keep your eyes on Jason."

"And what about when I need to get _down_?" Mark said, putting his hands over his eyes. "I kinda have to look _down_ to get down!"

Espie's arm wrapped around his shoulder. "Try unlocking Jason up there and maybe he'll help guide you down."

That was a thought.

Mark gripped his father's key tightly. He looked back up at Jason, still floating really high above the canyon.

He stood on shaky legs, trying not to hyperventilate. "O-Okay…" he managed. "I'll try…"

He kept his eyes on his father and willed the winds to help him up. He felt his body go into zero-gravity mode and tried desperately not to pee his pants as he rose higher.

Closer.

He heard the encouragement from the ladies.

"Go, Mark!"

"You got this, Mark! Keep your eyes on Jason!"

"Don't look down!"

Closer.

Mark fought hard against himself. He didn't want to look down. He didn't want to look down.

_Eyes on Dad. Don't look down. Dad's closer now. Don't look down. Almost there. DON'T LOOK DOWN!_

He arrived a little too fast, not knowing how to put on the brakes. He bumped against Jason and scrambled to hold on to the man. In his desperation, he saw just how high he was and screamed in a way not unbefitting a little girl, forgetting that he could control the winds. If he hadn't wrapped his arms and legs against his father's horizontal body, Mark might have dropped like a stone.

He was still clinging, his eyes closed, tears staining his cheeks, when he heard Espie's _so far away_ voice call out, "Unlock him, Mark! He can help you get down!"

Mark peeked. His sight was met with golden chains across his father's body. Mark dared to look a little higher.

A golden lock was fused with his chest, shaped kinda like the cloud-lightning bolt symbol in the Disney Hercules movie.

Jason looked peaceful, like he was sleeping. His glasses were sort of crooked, but Mark didn't want to reach up and fix them.

Mark adjusted himself to unlock his father. He was still clinging to Jason, but his free hand reached up and shakily search for the keyhole.

Finally, he found it. He stuck the key in quickly and unlocked his father.

Three things happened at the same time.

One: The chains disappeared and the lock melted into Jason's chest.

Two: Jason groaned and his eyes fluttered slightly.

Three: The winds holding them both up suddenly decided they wanted to take a lunch break.

Both Graces began a huge freefall, which would no doubt end with a Jason pancake topped with Mark syrup.

Mark screamed at the top of his lungs for his father to help.

Jason was too disoriented to do anything except yell, "WHAT THE HEEEEEEEELLLLLL!?"

Mark heard screaming from the girls, but he was too worried about not peeing his pants to listen. Jason started flailing, Mark still clinging to his side like a leech.

Suddenly, they stopped.

_I died_, Mark thought, his eyes closed. _I'm dead. This is it. I'm totally dead._

"Mark," Jason groaned. Mark opened his eyes to see a red-faced Jason. His father looked at him momentarily.

"A little help would be nice, son," Jason growled.

Mark, without even glancing at how high they were, held out his hand and willed the wind to lift them up.

He saw the girls up on the skywalk. Mark locked his eyes onto them and didn't dare to look away.

Very soon, they were back on the skywalk. Jason was on his hands and knees, Annabeth helping him back onto shaky legs.

Mark had run inside at the first solid step. Espie followed him and found him curled up at the entrance.

She crouched down and smiled at him, probably trying not to laugh. "You did great," she said.

Mark just ended up glaring at her.

About a minute later, Annabeth and Jason were hobbling towards them. In Jason's hand was a little red key. From what Mark could tell, it seemed to end in a fist-shape.

"Is that Frank's key?" he asked.

Annabeth nodded. "Take it from your father before he drops it."

Mark did just that. The end _did_ end in a fist-like shape, like a cartoon punch was about to ensue.

"Then I guess it's Sammy's turn to face his fear," he grumbled.

Espie lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Don't be mean."

He glared at her again. "I faced my fear, experienced it, and braved it again. I deserve to be mean for the rest of the day."

He started walking out of the building and towards the _Argo II_. He desperately wanted to make sure he hadn't soiled himself.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Yeah. You go Mark :)**_

_**Saspie: 6 votes**_

_**Espark: 3 votes**_

_**Y'all are loving the Saspie! :D**_


	11. Sammy Leo XI

**_Sammy Leo time, ladies and germs! Maybe he's not the totally steady, totally superior and stoic Roman you all thought he would be?_**

**_Anyway, I'm tired, so if there's a mistake, maybe I'll see it in the morning when I wake up. For now, here's the new chapter!_**

**_I'll update Papi 2 asap, but I gotta finish that chapter without rushing it. In the meantime enjoy this and the Papi 1 Prequel stand-alone: Prologue Before the Prologue. /shameless plug_**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/Teens are mine.  
><em>**

* * *

><p><strong>XI<strong>

**SAMMY LEO**

Sammy Leo Zhang tapped his fingers on the front rail of the ship. He tried so hard not to scowl as he thought of how Esperanza was spending time with Mark.

That stupid Greek was muscling in on his girl!

Okay, well, Espie wasn't really _his_ girl. She wasn't _anyone's_ girl, to be honest…except Leo's. She was definitely Mr. Valdez's little girl, and no one in the world would _dare_ argue that point.

Sammy sighed. He knew he shouldn't be so possessive of Espie. Gods knew she wouldn't appreciate it, since she could definitely handle herself. But Sammy had been feeling things for the fire user since their first summer at Camp Half-Blood together. So seeing another guy chase after her kinda made him feel like he needed to let his inner-Mars out.

Every time he thought about Esperanza Valdez, his heart did a loop-di-loop. He wanted to confess his love for her so _badly_ but every time he tried, he'd feel awkward and blurt something else out.

Prime example:

A few weeks back, Sammy had been determined to go right up to Espie and ask her out. When she had turned toward him, he looked into her chocolate brown eyes, got lost in them, and dreamily thought about what it would be like to kiss her. When she had finally gotten his attention again, he lost all sense and forgot his personal mission. He had blurted out some random fact about Hermes and his sacred turtle then ran away.

Crash and burn.

Sammy wished he didn't have so much of his father in him. He was extremely awkward when it came to girls—especially Espie.

He sighed and slipped his fingers through his mini afro—something he had managed to keep in light of the Legion's hair regulations. He argued that if females could have their hair the way they wanted it without it getting caught on things (usually), then so could males. The Senate didn't really like the idea, but he was going to keep his 'fro no matter what.

Icarus, the masthead for the _Argo II_, turned his head and looked at Sammy with intense sapphire eyes. Sammy tried hard not to shrink under that gaze. That thing freaked Sammy out for some reason. Icarus seemed friendly, like Festus, but there was just something about that bronze and gold dragon head that made Sammy feel tiny.

"What?" Sammy asked.

"What are you sighing about?"

Sammy Leo just about jumped out of his skin. He didn't expect an actual _answer_!

A chuckle sounded from behind him. Sammy turned and saw Tulio standing with a cheeky impish smile, chuckling softly at Sammy's expense.

The legacy of Mars scoffed. "Don't scare me like that, Tulio," he warned.

"It's rare to find you with your guard down," the demititan said with a shrug. "At least I didn't prank you. My dad might've done that. Espie, too."

Sammy looked away at the mention of Tulio's sister.

Tulio, being the smart-ass that he was, correctly assessed the situation. "Oh," he said. "Is this about Espie and Mark?"

Sammy let his head hang as he leaned against the railing. He felt Tulio's hand pat him on the back.

"You know Espie," he said. "She wants in on some action all the time. I mean fighting-wise, not…_dating_-wise."

"She didn't have to go with Mark," Sammy grumbled.

Tulio didn't answer to that. His hand disappeared. Sammy looked over and saw Tulio lean his back up against the railing with his elbows propping him up.

Tulio sighed. "Whatever happens, man," he said. "Just know that it's not _gonna_ happen with you sitting on the sidelines. Espie hasn't given me any hints about her love life yet, but Mark sure as Hades has. The past few days he's been oogling over her privately and I'm feeling it even from the engine room. With his feelings combined with yours, you guys are giving me a stomachache."

Sammy blushed.

"Point is," Tulio continued. "You can't sit around and wait forever. Mark has Aphrodite blood in him. If he loves something—real or not—he's gonna go for it. You gotta take an initiative, bro."

"If I didn't know any better," Sammy said, looking up at Tulio, "I'd say you wanted your sister to go out with me."

Tulio smiled. "You're a great guy, Sammy. Maybe I'm being a little biased, but you'd make a better match for Espie than Mark."

"Biased how?"

The demititan shrugged. "You're my best friend. Mark's _just_ a friend. I want what's best for my sister and you fit the bill."

Sammy smiled sadly. "But you can't decide for her. She'd kill you if you tried."

Tulio nodded. "Which is why I shall repeat my previous statement: Don't sit and wait for her to come to you. Show some of that Roman initiative, go right up to her, look her in the eye and tell her exactly how you feel!"

Sammy shrugged and let his head hang again. "I can't believe I'm taking love advice from a guy who handles non-humans all day…"

Tulio huffed. "'Scuse me for tryin' to be a good friend. You want I should get my dad? He's worse than I am at talking to girls that aren't Piper, Hazel, Annabeth or my mom."

Sammy laughed. "Point taken. But still…"

"…still I've gotta be the better choice," Tulio finished. "The only one on board with any possible _good_ love advice just happens to be Espie's other suitor…"

The legacy of Mars groaned. "Don't say that…I'm up against a legacy of the love goddess herself in a contest of love…I'm gonna lose…"

Tulio patted him on the back. "You're a legacy of Mars. Mars/Ares kids don't back down from a challenge, right? Romans don't show fear in the face of battle, right?"

Sammy nodded. "Right on both counts."

"Then swallow that lump in your throat and confess to Espie when she gets back on board. Do it in front of Mark and show him who's boss!"

Sammy shook his head, deciding not to respond to that motivational speech. He looked over at Leo, who was currently checking one of the controls at the helm. The son of Hephaestus glanced at them. Sammy wasn't sure the man could hear their conversation, but he seemed to nod in understanding.

Icarus suddenly whirred his rotating teeth and faced the front again. Tulio perked up and looked over the figurehead.

"Get ready, big guy," he coaxed. "Cause here they come."

Sammy sighed and braced himself. He stood up straight and put on a happy face.

Mark was in the lead, holding onto the next key (which Sammy Leo couldn't see since it was still too far away). Espie followed at a slower pace, holding back a giggle. Annabeth took up the rear, helping an exhausted-looking Jason hobble towards the _Argo II_.

Mark pretty much ran up the gangplank and tossed the key to Leo as he passed the helm. "Give that to Sammy," he said quickly, running away to get back to the lower deck. Sammy tried not to laugh at the dark stain that was present on the legacy of Jupiter's pants.

Tulio and Sammy made their way over to Leo as Espie arrived. Tulio nudged Sammy, but the legacy of Mars shook his head.

"The key comes first," he stated. "I'll talk to Espie in a bit."

Tulio nodded and didn't press further.

Leo was holding up the key. From what Sammy could tell, it was shaped like a fist at the end. Which could only mean…

"Dad…" he muttered. "That's my dad's key! Give it here!"

The crew had figured out pretty quick that the legacies of the key owners were the ones that could activate the keys themselves. Espie (as an external fire-user legacy of Hephaestus) activated Leo's key, Bobby (as Athena's natural descendant) activated Annabeth's, and Mark (the only grandson of Jupiter) activated Jason's. It was a simple, obvious pattern.

If anyone could activate Frank's key, it would be Sammy, the legacy of Mars blessed by the god of war himself.

So why was it, that when Leo tossed Frank's key to Sammy Leo...

…the key did not hover and a clue did not appear?

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Hm...how interesting.**_

**Saspie: 9**

**Espark: 9**

_**All tied up. I even got one for Boblio/Tulibob, for some strange reason xD No, there won't be any of that. Bobby and Tulio are just friends and will stay that way. I've kinda-sorta got a romance plan for Tulio, but I wanna toss ideas around in my head before I finalize it.**_

_**Anyway, got some protective Sammy going on here. And a somehow romantically-knowledgeable Tulio :D He may not experience love, but he sure as Hades knows what it feels like to other people!**_


	12. Sammy Leo XII

**_Ta-da! Another Sammy Leo chapter! Toned down the romantics a bit, mostly because I don't want EVERY chapter in his POV to be him flip-flopping his feelings for Espie for a majority of the chapter._**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize as canon. The twins are mine._  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>XII<strong>

**SAMMY LEO**

Sammy Leo shook the key in his hand violently. "Come on," he growled. "Activate! Float! DO SOMETHING!"

The red key didn't do squat. It was deceptively acting like a normal key. And that pissed Sammy off to _no_ end.

Sammy threw the key onto the ground. He was going to stomp on it in frustration, but then felt his inner Mars taking over his emotions. He halted and straightened up, breathing in and out deeply. Pure anger was not going to help this situation.

Meanwhile, Annabeth had let Jason rest against the rail of the ship and was now picking up the key. She weighed it in her hand, her stormy grey eyes carefully analyzing the key as if it were a Rubik's Cube. She had a look like,_ Perhaps there's a combination to activate it. Maybe press random areas._

Leo tossed Jason a PB&J and walked over. He took the key and also started analyzing it. His look was more like, _If I take this apart and dissect it maybe then it will work._

"Huh," he mused. "That's never happened before. Maybe you held it wrong?"

Sammy rolled his eyes. "How could I possibly _hold it wrong_? There's no specific way to hold a key!"

The Latino man held his hands up in surrender. "Easy, big guy. Just making an observation."

Espie took the key next to see if setting fire would do anything. Unfortunately, it didn't.

Lacy's eyes glowed green as she took it when she tried activating it via sea powers. Nothing.

Bobby grabbed it and examined it like his mother had. He shook his head and handed it to Tulio.

The second the key touched Tulio's hand, it glowed and shot into the air. Red words were scrawled across the space between the teens and adults.

**_A fight to the death is not required,_**

**_To rescue the pure Roman's sire._**

The key gently floated back down and settled in Tulio's palm, pointing Northwest.

Tulio blinked. "Uh…okay…?"

Sammy was equally confused. _Why was it Tulio could activate it and not me?_

Annabeth placed a hand on Sammy's shoulder. "Let's just assume the key takes a while to activate. Or maybe it waits until the previous holder gains more strength."

Sammy glanced over at Jason, who seemed to be standing without support now. He was just finishing off the sandwich, looking around with a confused expression.

Sammy sighed. "No point in wondering. Let's just go. _Pure Roman's sire_. That's definitely my dad. Out of all of us legacies, I'm the only one with pure direct Roman blood. Everyone else is either fully or half Greek."

"Right." Leo clapped his hands. "Alright, Tulio. Since the key has decided it likes you, you can drive to wherever it is we need to go. _Papi_ needs to check on the engine."

He turned and punched Jason lightly in the arm before heading below deck. Jason rolled his eyes and yawned. He gave a small salute and followed the son of Hephaestus downstairs.

In fact, Bobby, Lacy and Espie headed below deck as well. Sammy cursed himself when Espie went down right as he remembered he wanted to confess his love to her.

Sammy sighed and looked at Tulio, who was already juggling the confusing controls at the helm. He put his hands in his pockets and walked over to the legacy of Hephaestus.

"Hey," he tried.

Tulio gave a nervous smile. "Elephant on the ship: I really don't know why the key—"

Sammy clapped a hand on to his back. "Whatever, man. It happened. Nothing I can do about it. But when we reach our destination, it's probably gonna be me leading the way."

"No problem with that," Tulio conceded. "I'm not one for leading."

"You're also not one for quests," Sammy joked. "Yet here you are."

Tulio gave an impish grin. "Like you guys could handle Icarus without me."

"We have your dad."

"If Mom wasn't missing, too, it'd probably be just Espie with you guys. I wouldn't be coming along if Mom was still at home with Zac and Aria."

Sammy shook his head. "But Leo would still come. Jason and Piper are his best friends. Plus, there's my mom and dad, who cared for your dad a lot. Leo wouldn't _not_ search for them."

Tulio shrugged. "Fine. But I still wouldn't come."

"Regardless," Sammy said, getting back to the topic. "I want you to come along when I go get Dad."

Tulio looked at him like he was an alien. "Excuse me? I don't think so."

"You're my best bud, Tulio." Sammy Leo ruffled Tulio's hair. "And I have a feeling I'm gonna need you. Maybe the key was trying to tell us that you were going to play a part in Dad's rescue. After all, that wasn't much of a clue like with Annabeth's and Jason's."

"Hey," the demititan said. "No fights to the death sounds like a pretty big hint to me! It means someone's not gonna die!"

"I'll give you that."

Tulio sighed. "Fine, I'll go. But, only if we can bring Espie."

"Will she want to go on two mini-quests in a row?"

The demititan looked at him with a smug smile. "I'm not wanting her to come just to make me feel better. You need to get those lovey-dovey feelings out in the open."

Sammy felt his face heat up. "Shut up."

He turned on his heels and went back to the railing next to Icarus the dragon. Behind him, he knew Tulio Valdez was grinning triumphantly.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, Sammy Leo could see the lights of a bright city. Even in the dark, he could tell which city it was.<p>

He turned around and nodded to Tulio. The demititan nodded and announced over the ship's intercom: "Hey, guys! We've arrived at our destination. Espie, Sammy wants you and me to accompany him. And, if we _really_ need one, I guess one of the adults can come along. But, I wouldn't trust any of our parents to behave here," he added playfully.

Soon, Espie was gazing at the city of lights with wide eyes as they walked down the gangplank. Sammy could feel the excited ADHD part of her, and it was affecting him. He wanted to jump up and down and run in circles, her feelings were that strong.

Jason was right behind them. He was still feeble in a way, but he wanted to accompany the kids this time since Leo and Annabeth had each had a turn. One glance at the city and all the adults agreed that the kids were not allowed in on their own, regardless of how many were in the group.

They were old enough for solo quests, sure, but the adults were just concerned for their kids' safety.

After all, what parent would willingly send their kids alone into the Las Vegas Strip at night?

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Welp...yup...VEGAS BABY!**_

**Saspie: 15**

**Espark: 12**

_**Saspie's still in the lead, but Espark has gained a good following, too! We're nowhere near where I will reveal who will be the true pairing, so keep on voting! If you've already voted, please don't resubmit your vote. Once is enough and I don't want you guys cheating. There's no prize for voting for the correct ship, so there's no reason to double-vote :3**_


	13. Sammy Leo XIII

**_I knew this would be my favorite rescue. I think the only one that will be better will be the next one. But, that will come when it comes. For now, enjoy this new chapter! :D_**

**_A lot of you are giving valid points on which ship should be sailing. I'm loving it!_**

**_Saspie: 19_**

**_Espark: 17_**

**_Still no update on that besides the votes. We're still far away from the big choice. HOWEVER, there are a couple choices that must be made in this chapter! :o_**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/Teens are mine._**

* * *

><p><strong>XIII<strong>

**SAMMY LEO**

Sammy Leo wasn't one much for gambling. Games, sure! He loved playing around, contrary to the popular belief that he was as stuck up as councilmember Reyna. But gambling was not something he liked, even if he was playing poker with some of his cohort members.

So Las Vegas didn't really excite him as much as it did unnerve him. Yeah, Annabeth had warned the group to stay away from the Lotus Hotel & Casino. Sammy and Jason both had a strong desire to stay away from that prison-like place, knowing of how it trapped Percy, Annabeth, Grover and the di Angelo siblings, and they really hoped Frank wouldn't be in the Casino.

As luck would have it, the key was not pointing in that direction. The group was led past it, but not into it. Sammy looked over his shoulder to see Tulio shivering and sweating. Espie had an arm wrapped around him, gently cooing into his ear.

He fell back, handing Jason the key, and fell into step beside the legacies of Hephaestus.

"You okay, man?" he asked Tulio.

Tulio shook his head. "I don't like crowds. This whole place is buzzing with excitement and shame at the same time. It's making me feel nauseous."

Only a few people knew of Tulio's ability to feel above average emotions; the Valdez family, the rest of the Seven, and Sammy Leo. The other legacies had no idea mostly because Tulio didn't hang out with them as much as he did with Sammy. This power wasn't something Tulio could control, and Frank had suggested that it might be more of a curse to balance out how strong he was. Tulio could be the most powerful legacy of all time, topping even Espie if he wanted, but that would bring on too much attention to him and he would collapse from all the emotions from adoring crowds. So, he stayed modest and solitary—which suited him just fine, he had told Sammy when the legacy of Mars was concerned about him being alone too much.

Sammy mentally kicked himself. Maybe bringing Tulio to one of the most popular and crowded cities in America had been a bad idea.

"Do you want to go back?" he suggested. "We could get Lacy or Bobby to come along." He didn't mention Mark. _Anyone_ but Mark!

Tulio shook his head. "No. You said it yourself; I activated the key, so that must mean I'm needed in some way."

Sammy nodded. "Just say the word and I'll let Jason escort you back."

"Hey," Jason said.

"Sorry," Sammy apologized. He hadn't realized Jason wanted to stay.

"Not that. I meant we've got something."

The trio of legacies looked up and saw that they were in front of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. Sammy had to gape at how huge this place was. What was it, like a million miles high? You could land a plane on the roof if you wanted!

Jason coughed. "The key is leading us here. Stick close, kids, I don't want you running off to play games."

The legacies nodded. It was highly improbable that they would run off. Sammy didn't gamble. Tulio was feeling nauseous. Espie was busy cradling Tulio. There was a very little chance that they would get distracted.

Jason led them through the casino. The trio kept close, making sure the security guards knew they were with an adult. Thankfully, no one seemed to question them as they hurriedly walked through the casino.

Jason stopped next to the sign that read, **_Theatre_**.

"I suppose Dad's in there?" Sammy Leo asked.

Jason nodded. "The key's pointing here. I've actually been to this theatre. It's really nice."

"You've been here?" Espie asked.

The son of Jupiter nodded. "Yup. Had a quest that led to Vegas. Me and my comrades stayed in this hotel courtesy of Mercury (don't ask). We saw a Cirque du Soleil show in this very theatre. Pretty awesome."

"You think we could stay for a show?" Tulio asked, hopeful. "Play and show audiences are some of the only crowds that don't hit me so hard."

"As long as you're not on stage," Espie joked, grinning.

Sammy looked at the stage sign next to the door.

**_Next Show: Stage in Flames_**

**_One Night Only_**

**_One Show Only_**

**_Showtime: 9:00 PM_**

Sammy checked his watch. It was 7:50 right now. If they went in, got Frank, and got out, they would be able to avoid crowds of people coming in. Sammy kinda wanted to see whatever this 'Stage in Flames' show was, but his father needed him, as did the rest of the missing Seven.

He nodded to Jason. The son of Jupiter nodded back and opened the door.

The theatre was huge and gorgeous. The best way to describe what it looked like would be the Phantom of the Opera (movie) theatre, only without all the naked angels decorating the boxes and stairwells. The stage was round, and it looked as if the top was actually a cover.

In the middle of the stage sat a large square cage. Inside it, a huge Bengal tiger slept, its tail flicking every now and again. It was stretched out lazily.

As the group moved closer to the stage, Sammy noticed the tiger was gently wrapped in chains, a giant shackle adorning its neck. There was a fist-shaped lock sticking out of its fur, like it was coming right out of the tiger's body.

Espie nudged Sammy. Sammy tried not to blush at the slight touch from her. "I think that's Frank," she whispered.

Sammy's eyes widened in realization. "D-Dad?!"

He ran right up to the stage, bounding up the steps. However, just as he reached the top step, a light blinded him for a second.

When he blinked away the spots, he froze.

Standing before him was a seven foot tall man in a flashy suit. It was like this guy decided the Elvis style needed a comeback. That wasn't what Sammy was concerned about, though.

The guy had two faces!

"Janus," Jason growled.

The god bowed. "In the flesh," both heads said.

Sammy cursed under his breath. _Of course it wouldn't be easy. There's always either a guardian or a test._

"Correct," the right head of Janus said.

"On both counts," said the left head.

"So which will you choose?" they both said.

"What do you mean?" Espie asked.

Both heads smiled.

"Will you choose Guardian?" said Righty.

"Or Test?" finished Lefty.

"Choose," they said together.

Jason sighed. "One of my least favorite gods to meet in person."

"I think everyone feels that way," Tulio said. "I know Percy said this guy was annoying."

Righty huffed, "I'm right here…"

"…you know," Lefty concluded.

"Why must we choose?" Sammy asked.

"There's always a choice," Righty said.

"Always," Lefty said.

Sammy looked back at the others. They all seemed to nod in agreement of one thing. He turned back to the god.

"Then we choose Test," he said, lifting his chin. He remembered the clue. _A fight to the death is not required._ So Sammy knew they had to choose Test and not Guardian.

Both heads smiled. "I knew…"

"…you would say that."

Janus snapped. Frank's cage teleported to one of the boxes up on the upper levels.

"Then you now must face the consequence of the choice."

Sammy blinked. "Consequence? But we didn't do anything yet!"

Both heads grinned from ear to ear to ear.

"You shall be performing a single song," said Righty.

"Just one," Lefty continued.

"In front of a crowd."

"And you must…"

"…please us…"

"…and the crowd…"

"…to set Frank Zhang free…"

"It's like a reality show!"

"Only, y'know, there's only one round."

Sammy was getting a headache keeping the heads straight. "Just one song?"

"Just one."

Sammy nodded. "Okay." _That's easy enough._ He turned to Espie. "Then our singer will be Esperanza—"

"No, no, no," both heads yelled.

"We never said…"

"…you got to choose your singer!"

Sammy tried to keep a poker face. He had a bad feeling about this. "Then who do you choose?"

"The chosen person will be singing a solo…"

"…like a karaoke."

"Only with state-of-the-art music backing them up."

"The other three of you will be in the audience."

Sammy snarled, losing his patience, "_Who's_ the chosen singer!?"

Janus smiled evilly. "Tulio Charles Valdez."

Sammy quickly looked at the aforementioned demititan. He had paled, his eyes wild and wide. His jaw was so low Sammy thought it might drop to the floor.

Tulio shook his head furiously. "No, sir! I don't sing! I _can't_ sing!"

Espie stepped forward. "He's right. He can't sing! I'll do it!"

Janus shook his heads. "The chosen one is Tulio Valdez."

He spread his arms. "Another choice for Mr. Valdez alone to make."

"Will you face a crowd of hundreds and sing for Frank Zhang?"

"Or will you leave this place and abandon the quest, dooming Frank and the rest of the missing parents?"

"Choose."

"Choose."

Tulio was shaking violently. Espie placed a hand on his shoulder. Jason ran a hand through his blonde hair, clearly at a loss.

Sammy knew what Tulio's choice would have been had both his parents been rescued by now. He would have walked away. As selfish as that sounded, Sammy knew that's what he would have done. If they had both been rescued, Tulio wouldn't even be here now, facing this catastrophic choice.

Tulio took a deep, shaky breath. "I'll sing."

Janus clapped. "Excellent!" squealed the right head.

"You have one hour to prepare your song," said the left.

"Any song you like."

"Except rap."

"Choreography is highly recommended."

"Special effects, too!"

"Flashier the better!"

"One hour," they repeated. "And then you face the audience."

He disappeared suddenly, leaving behind a silver key, which also disappeared after a few seconds.

Sammy faced Tulio. The Latino was breathing deeply, trying not to hyperventilate. "Are you sure you can do this?" he asked the demititan.

Tulio nodded. "I have to try. I'll probably crash and burn, but I'll try…"

Espie patted him on the shoulder. "We'll do a parody. I got a song in mind. Just give me a few minutes to reword it to fit you. And that sign outside said '_Stage in Flames_'. That must have been a hint. I'll add special effects with my fire while I sit in the audience. It should be easy."

Jason nodded. "I can help with a bit of choreography. Nothing too flashy."

"You dance?" Espie asked, her eyebrows raised.

"A little," Jason said. "I can do a bit of not-dorky dancing."

Tulio sighed and ran a hand through his curls. "Whatever. That still doesn't solve my voice problem."

"You can't be that bad," Jason said.

Tulio gave him a withered look. "You've heard my dad sing, right?"

The son of Jupiter nodded, his lip curled in a grimace. "Once," he said. "We were trying to fool some maenads…He sang something that I _think_ was supposed to be the theme song to **_Psych_**. It almost made me sick."

Tulio groaned. "I'm way worse."

"How can you be worse than your father?" Jason challenged.

Espie warned, "You didn't just say that…"

Tulio opened his mouth and screeched. Sammy didn't even know what he was singing—if he even _was_ singing! It sounded more like a harpy squawking while simultaneously running her claws on a chalkboard!

"STOP!" Jason yelled, his hands pressing against his ears. "Just stop!"

Tulio stopped and looked down. "I told you. I'm way worse…"

"You're damn right you're way worse than Leo," Jason said, annoyed. "I think my ears are bleeding!"

Espie hugged Tulio. "We'll figure something out. Maybe we can disguise my voice in a recording or something and you can lip-sync it…"

_Voice…_

Sammy hated the sudden bright idea that had just hit him. Of all people, he really didn't want to involve _him_! But…his father needed him.

He swallowed his pride and said, "Mr. Grace? You said Piper once brought Festus to life with her charmspeak, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, Mark's charmspeak is just as powerful, right?"

Jason nodded. "He won't admit it, but he could go toe-to-toe with his mother if he tried."

"What are you getting at?" Espie asked.

"I think I know how to solve Tulio's vocal problem," Sammy said. "It's a long-shot, but it might work. Let me go make an IM real fast."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Janus is hard...he really is. I hope I got him close to how Rick portrayed him.**_

_**No Saspie in this chapter, sorry. Mostly centered around Tulio even though it's a Sammy Leo chapter. The next chapter will be featuring everyone's most favorite song (laced with sarcasm). I had written a parody for it mainly for Leo, but then I realized it would still fit for Tulio as well!**_

_**Next POV will be...*drumroll***_

_**Leo's! :o**_


	14. Leo XIV

**_Two chapters within three hours!? Fuck, I'm tired! D:_**

**_But! I love this chapter and just wanted to post it immediately! So, yay for you guys! :D_**

**_I hope you enjoy this, even though you guys are gonna hate me for getting the song stuck in your head. 0:)_**

**_Saspie: 19_**

**_Espark: 18_**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/Teens are mine. The song is also technically not mine. I'll disclaim that at the bottom._**

* * *

><p><strong>XIV<strong>

**LEO**

Leo banged away at the loose metal hanging off of Icarus's armor. The dragon played around with its neck movements more than Festus ever did as a masthead. Leo didn't know how this dragon had turned out so playful. He wasn't even permanently activated like Festus was!

Icarus creaked at Leo. The son of Hephaestus rolled his eyes. "Maybe if you didn't move around so violently I wouldn't have to do this in the first place. Don't complain to me about being slow!"

_Creak. Whir. Tap. Tap._

"I surely hope Tulio didn't program you with such a mouth," he complained. "I should wash your insides with soap!"

"You're complaining about the automaton's potty mouth when you're no better?"

Leo whirled around. Annabeth was leaning against the rail, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Leo said innocently.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "You have just as bad a sailor's mouth as Percy. I've heard you when you're away from the kids. Makes me want to wash _your_ mouth with soap."

Leo bowed. "At least I'll be remembered for something other than my good looks!"

Annabeth snorted. "Keep dreaming, Repair Boy."

"You sound like Piper."

Leo looked down. He didn't like the fact that Piper wasn't here arguing with him. Usually Annabeth wasn't this fun to hang with alone. Not like Piper or Calypso. Both of them beat him senseless with insults just to keep him in line. Annabeth just plain scared him.

"We'll find her," the daughter of Athena promised. "We're almost halfway done."

Leo sighed. "Yeah, I know. I just really miss Calypso."

"And I miss Percy." Annabeth patted him on the shoulder. "This is the second time in my life that I've had to be apart from him like this. It really stinks."

"Same here," Leo agreed. "Being apart from Calypso…sometimes I feel like I can't handle it. My heart keeps being tugged in all directions. I just want to curl up and die in a corner I'm so hurt and alone…"

Saying that was kind of embarrassing, but he felt it needed to be said. Annabeth nodded and gently hugged him.

"We can do this," she said. "We've got to trust that our children can handle these challenges. I believe in them, which means I also believe that Percy is still alive out there, just waiting for us."

"Yeah…" Leo closed his eyes and smiled. "You're right…"

A sort of hissing sound caught Leo's attention. He and Annabeth turned around to see an Iris Message floating just in front of Icarus. At the moment it was full of static.

Just as that moment, Mark, Lacy and Bobby all ran up the stairs.

"We all heard the message," Lacy said through a pant.

"What message?" Annabeth asked.

"The one that said 'Get above deck, there's a message waiting for everyone to see'," Mark said.

"You didn't say that?" Bobby asked.

Leo shook his head, really confused. "There _is_ and IM here." He pointed to the misty static in front of Icarus's head. "But at the moment it..."

A voice interrupted him. The Iris Message was saying something:

_"Live at the Bellagio Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevada: the one-hit sensation that will sweep the nation: Stage in Flames! Featuring our host: Janus!"_

"Oh boy," Annabeth commented. "That can't be good. If Janus is sending us an IM, this probably has something to do with the kids!"

The message lit up with a view of a huge, round stage. The camera of the IM panned around the audience of (hopefully) mortals clapping and whistling in approval and excitement. At last it ended up looking back on to the stage, where a tall man in an Elvis-style suit stood, microphone in hand. Leo immediately noticed this guy had two faces.

_"Hey, everybody," said the left face._

_"Welcome to the show," said the right._

_"Tonight, you're about to witness…"_

_"…the musical talent of an undiscovered person."_

_"You all are very lucky to be witnessing the one-time-only, one-hit wonder!"_

_"Now, there is a reason this person is performing in front of you all."_

_"You all (as well as myself) have to judge this person's performance. If you love it, you'd better show it. If you hate it, show it as well! If they win our approval, they get to keep the prize: This glorious Bengal tiger, descended from the far off land of China!"_

The camera zoomed away to view a huge tiger sleeping soundly in a cage. Leo instantly knew that was Frank. There was no way any other tiger would come close to that size.

_"If they do horribly and don't get a good score," Janus said. "Then they lose and are shamed in front of all you people of Las Vegas!"_

_"So, without further ado…"_

_"We present to you…"_

_"…singing a special parody of Frozen's 'Let it Go'…"_

_"TULIO VALDEZ!"_

Leo nearly fainted. _Tulio_ was going to _sing_!? _I should have bought earmuffs_, he thought. _There's no way my son is going to please a crowd with his voice! He's worse than I am!_

The stage dimmed. A lone piano and guitar began a duet. A single spotlight shined on a lone figure in the middle of the stage, a microphone clipped to their shirt: Tulio.

Tulio was wearing a simple white t-shirt. He had black pants and suede work boots, topped with a tool belt that looked old and worn. He was wearing suspenders over the shirt.

"He's got your sense of style," Annabeth noted. Leo ignored her.

Tulio breathed in and opened his mouth. Leo sucked in a breath, knowing his son was about to crash and burn…

Then…

A voice rang out in clear and beautiful tones, not a scratch or strain to it. It almost sounded like Esperanza's voice, but way more masculine.

* * *

><p><em>My fire glows bright in Las Vegas tonight<em>

_Not a person to be seen_

_A theatre of isolation_

_And inside it, I'm the king._

_The fires about me rage this swirling storm inside_

_I can't keep it in_

_Olympus knows I try…_

_Don't let them in, don't let them see_

_Be the quiet one you always have to be_

_Conceal, don't feel,_

_Don't let them know…_

_Well now they'll know!_

* * *

><p>Something happened that Leo couldn't explain. His mouth dropped when Tulio suddenly…<p>

Caught fire!

* * *

><p><em>Let it go!<em>

_Let it go!_

* * *

><p>Tulio opened his palms at different intervals. Tiny flames danced around his fingertips.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Can't hold it in anymore.<em>

_Let it go!_

_Let it go!_

_Turn away and slam the door!_

_I don't care what they're going to say_

* * *

><p>He waved his hands a little and the flames began to spread outwards.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Let the flames burn on<em>

_The heat never bothered me anyway._

* * *

><p>Tiny bursts exploded randomly onstage, matching the quickening beat of the song.<p>

* * *

><p><em>It's funny how missing parents<em>

_Make everything else small_

_So the fears that once controlled me_

_Can't get to me at all_

_It's time to see what I can do_

* * *

><p>Flames sparked from his fingertips, shooting towards the audience harmlessly like fireworks.<p>

* * *

><p><em>To test the limits and break through<em>

_No right, no wrong_

_No rules for me…_

_I'm free!_

* * *

><p>His stance changed. Leo could swear Tulio looked more confident now. Whatever curse there had been regarding emotion reading, the legacy of Hephaestus wasn't feeling it anymore, it seemed. He was gaining confidence, feeding off of the energy of the crowd instead of resisting it.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Let it go!<em>

_Let it go!_

_I am one with the burning sky_

_Let it go!_

_Let it go!_

_You'll never see me cry!_

_Here I stand—_

* * *

><p>He stomped on the ground and flames erupted from his foot. A wave of heat blasted through the audience, who were going 'Ooh' and 'Aah' at the sight.<p>

* * *

><p><em>—and here I'll stay!<em>

_Let the heat blast on…_

* * *

><p>Flames danced around Tulio as the song picked up the pace, the guitar and piano now accompanied by a full orchestra at this point. If he moved right, the fire moved left. If he bowed down, the flames rose. It was like a gorgeous ballet of fire that only a fire user could master.<p>

Leo was suddenly thinking that this resembled a dance version of the firebenders in Avatar: the Last Airbender. It was insanely cool, especially when it was coupled with the words of the song:

* * *

><p><em>My power surges through the air and to the ground<em>

_My soul is spiraling in burning embers all around_

_And one thought builds up greatly like a fiery blast_

_I'm never going back…_

_The past is in the past!_

* * *

><p>He spread his arms and flames burst forth from his body like an explosion.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Let it go!<em>

_Let it go!_

_And I'll rise like the flaming phoenix_

* * *

><p>Flames widened around his arms momentarily, making Tulio look like an actual phoenix. When he lifted his hands, it resembled a bird about to take flight.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Let it go!<em>

_Let it go!_

_I swear upon the Styx!_

* * *

><p>Tulio's shirt glowed fiercely for a second. Then, in words that looked as if they had been burned on, the shirt read: <strong><em>TEAM TULIO<em>**

* * *

><p><em>Here I stand in the light of day!<em>

_Let the fires rage oooooon!_

* * *

><p>The entire stage was covered in white, blue and orange flames, all dancing around the Latino in beautiful motions. Tulio himself was glowing orange, which stood out against the white flames encircling him. That high note gave Leo chills. It was amazing Tulio didn't crack!<p>

The orchestra disappeared and the guitar gradually faded down. Tulio lowered his arms slowly, the fire on the stage dying down at a similar speed. In a few moments, Tulio was back to being a not-on-fire human.

He looked at the audience, cocked his hip (on which he rested a hand), and put on the most unsettling smug and impish grin Leo had ever seen on any Valdez—including himself. He held up a finger, which was lit up like a birthday candle. Because of the previous bright fire show, there was no spotlight now. Only the candle-like flame lit up Tulio's unsettling face.

* * *

><p><em>The flames never bothered me anyway…<em>

* * *

><p>He blew out the flame as a <em>ting<em> from the piano rang through the air. The whole stage went dark.

The audience cheered and clapped furiously. Within seconds, they were giving Tulio a standing ovation. Leo found himself clapping along. He saw the others on the ship cheering as well.

"I knew he could do it," Mark said. When the others gave him a confused look he said, "I got an IM about an hour ago. Sammy Leo said that Tulio needed some charmspeak encouragement. I made Tulio believe he had a great singing voice, that he _can_ sing. If my mom can charmspeak Festus the automaton dragon awake, then I figured I could charmspeak Tulio and give him a beautiful singing voice just this once."

Leo grinned. "Way to go! Calypso will be so proud of him! And Piper'd be proud of you, Sora."

Mark scuffled his feet and sheepishly smiled. "Shucks."

When the applause had died down and the audience had settled back into their seats, the stage lit up again. Tulio was standing next to Janus, nervous as all get-out.

Janus's two heads smiled. _"So how was that, guys? I assume that standing ovation meant he earned your approval?"_

The audience cheered again. A couple people stood up and sat back down, cheering.

Janus held up his hands. _"Then it seems I must make my decision. Will Tulio Valdez receive the fabulous tiger?"_

_"Or will he be shamed off the stage by my vote?"_

There was a dramatic pause. Tulio's face got a close-up. Leo could almost feel his fear, he was shaking so hard.

Janus spread his arms. _"Tulio has passed the test!"_

The audience cheered and gave him another standing ovation. Janus's voice rang out over the crowd's cheers as the camera panned out to show the whole theatre.

_"Thanks for watching 'Stage in Flames'! We hope to see you again for the next new talent! Goodnight, everybody!"_

The message cut off after that. The group all exchanged a look before bursting out in fits of laughter.

"Well, that was an interesting way to rescue Frank," Annabeth observed.

"I assumed it would be something that was war-related," Bobby said, wiping a tear from his eyes. "What even was that!?"

Leo shrugged. "Never assume anything when you're on a quest. Weirdness is a given and you gotta be prepared for anything…including performing in Vegas, I guess!"

Lacy giggled again. "That was just hilarious, though. I'm never gonna let Tulio live that down!"

"Me neither," Leo agreed. "I hope they bring back a DVD of the performance. Calypso will never believe me!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Obviously, that song is 'Let it Go' from Frozen. The changed words are mine :3**_

_**Hurr. This chapter got me all excited. Woo! :D :D :D**_

_**Next chapter's still in Leo's POV.**_


	15. Leo XV

**_A little short, but gets the job done. It's getting quite interesting, isn't it? I'll get to _Papi_ Version Two again, but the muses want me to write about this story atm :)_**

**_Saspie: 21_**

**_Espark: 19_**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/Teens are mine._**

* * *

><p><strong>XV<strong>

**LEO**

Leo watched as Tulio proudly led the way to the _Argo II_, still wearing his _**TEAM**** TULIO**_ t-shirt, suspenders and jeans. Frank, being the heavy guy he was, was supported between Jason and Sammy Leo. Esperanza trailed behind, carrying a big bag, a look of happy annoyance clear on her face.

Tulio bounded up the gangplank and ran over to Icarus, recounting his tale with glee. Leo rolled his eyes.

"So you'd rather say hi to Icarus the dragon head than your own father," Leo observed loudly. "I see how it is! I'm always unloved!"

He posed dramatically. "Ignored by my own son!" he wailed. He collapsed against the rail limply. "My life is just too hard!"

Frank huffed when he reached the deck. "Give it a rest," he grunted. "You're giving me a headache."

Leo reached in his tool belt and brought out a sandwich. He tossed it to the son of Mars.

Tulio went up and hugged Leo. "Sorry, _Papi_. I've got so much to tell you!"

"I saw the whole thing," Leo said. "It was like watching an American Idol finale! That stage! Your flames! Your _voice_! _Mijo_, you were amazing!"

Tulio sheepishly smiled. "It felt weird being able to sing like that. Mark gave me a better voice with his charmspeak. I don't think I can do it again, though…"

Leo smiled. "And those flames?"

"They were mine." Esperanza was suddenly by Leo's side. "I was controlling the flames the entire time from the audience!"

Leo hugged his twins. "That was certainly an interesting way to rescue Frank. I was expecting Sammy to burst up to us saying how he beat up a monster or an enemy. Wasn't expecting you to sing at all, Tulio!"

Frank huffed in annoyance. "Can we move on to something else? Like, where's Hazel?"

Sammy shook his head. "We don't know, Dad. Her key hasn't shown up yet."

"Speaking of which," Jason said. "Frank, check your pockets. Someone's key is on you."

Frank patted his pants and pulled out a black key. It was topped with a huge diamond.

Sammy immediately grabbed for it. "That's Mom's key! Dad, give it!"

Leo was expecting the key to actually do something this time around. Last time, it hadn't reacted to Sammy's touch. Leo was hoping he would at least be able to activate Hazel's key.

But the black key didn't do anything.

Sammy Leo deflated. He handed the key to Tulio and retreated below deck without another word. Leo sighed, knowing the poor Roman's pride had been wounded.

"Alright," Annabeth said. "Everyone take a turn holding the key. Someone will activate it."

Obviously Tulio was out. The key wasn't doing anything in his hands. He handed it to Mark. Nothing. Next came the Jackson siblings. Nothing for both. Esperanza took it last. Nada.

Annabeth ran a hand through her curls. "Okay…Why don't _we_ give it a try?"

She took the key and examined it. Next she gave it to Jason. When nothing happened, he handed it to Frank. Frank shook his head and motioned for Leo to take it.

Leo took it and rolled it in his palm. He shook his head and gave it back to Frank.

Annabeth sighed. "Then I guess we're stuck."

"Maybe this means we need to go back to camp and get Gus," Jason said.

"That's so far away," Leo whined.

"It's the only lead we've got," Tulio conceded. "I'll tell Icarus to set a course for Camp Half-Blood."

He went back to the mast head.

Leo ran a hand through his curls. "We're going around in circles," he complained.

"_Papi_," Espie said. "I got something that might lift some spirits!"

Leo perked up. "Presents?"

She nodded. She handed Leo the bag. He rifled through it.

Within it was a T-shirt with **_TEAM TULIO_** scrawled on the chest, a poster that advertised _Stage in Flames_, which had Tulio himself in mid-dance with flames curled around him, a DVD of the show, and a couple random items and knick-knacks with either **_TEAM TULIO_** or Tulio himself adorning the products.

Leo curled his lip. "These are supposed to make me feel better? Team Leo is way better!"

Espie chuckled. "I never said it'd make you happy. I figured Mom might want some proof of Tulio doing that and showing Team Leo up. Team Tulio is where it's at, _Papi_."

Leo frowned. "Traitorous daughter," he growled.

She smiled and giggled.

Leo was about to say something else when suddenly his lunch came up to meet the world. It came without warning, ending up within seconds on Espie's shoes.

Espie squealed and backed away. "_Papi_? What the Hades!?"

Jason was suddenly supporting Leo. The son of Hephaestus groaned and held his head. The whole world was spinning, turning yellow.

Jason led him downstairs. Leo couldn't remember even getting to the infirmary, much less lying down. Jason was above him, as was Annabeth. Leo felt his stomach heave painfully. The world felt bigger to him now…why was that?

He closed his eyes, trying to make everything stop spinning. Words were jumbled in his brain. He couldn't hear the blondes in the room anymore. The only thing he could hear was the blood roaring in his ears.

His clothes suddenly felt looser than before. Now they seemed huge on him.

Leo blacked out.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Well, shit. Leo's got a problem...**_

_**I'm still on Team Leo. But NOW I have to support Team Tulio, being the founder :D Any Team Tulio fans out there?**_


	16. Esperanza XVI

**_Saspie: 21_**

**_Espark: 21_**

**_Tied up again :D_**

**_I'm lovin all the reviews! It seems like I get the most when something happens to Leo! xD_**

**_Anyway, I'd like to point out something. This is to someone who has worn down my patience within the last few days (and not because they've been posting on my story). This story already has a plot board written out. Everything about this story has a purpose and a plan for the future. I am NOT taking suggestions on the plot. Guesses on why something is happening is encouraged sure, but I don't want any "you should do this/you could to do that" comments. In the end, this is MY story._**

**_That being said, to that same person: I'm not trying to be rude to you, but it seems you have been rude to a friend of mine (yes, I do know it's you) so that is why your comment set me off._**

**_To unnamed friend, please feel better! :D *hands giant cookie*_**

**_To everyone else, please don't be discouraged at that above statement. I love all your reviews and all your guesses—not because 'hey, lookie how many reviews I gots', but because I love hearing you be happy/sad/mad at what's happening. I love it when you guys say things like, "is this happening because of (something plotty)" or "will this happen in the future?". I just don't like it when people tell me how to write my story._**

**_Sorry you had to read that, but I felt like I had to say it._**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/Teens are mine._**

* * *

><p><strong>XVI<strong>

**ESPERANZA**

Esperanza wanted to cry. Her father rarely got sick. Like herself, Leo's external fire-user nature made it very difficult for bad germs to get through his natural immune system. Germs would burn away almost instantly. If Leo ever got sick, it was usually just an extra resilient flu bug—one that usually hit him hard if he had been working too hard very recently.

But this sickness was too sudden. Espie didn't know what it was. Leo had been completely fine one second, and the next he was puking on her shoes (she was now barefoot while Lacy helped clean them with a no-touch-bath).

Tulio held her hand, which had begun to smoke. When his hand touched hers, the smoke made a sound like _psssssshhhh_ and went away.

Espie hugged him. "Can you go make him better?" she asked.

Tulio shook his head. "Something tells me this is something I can't cure. It feels weird. Like it's not a sickness. I don't think our great-grandfather could heal it, either."

Espie didn't say anything.

Her mind wandered back to when Tulio had just unlocked Frank. Janus had blocked her from the others momentarily. She thought he was going to fight her, but he merely smiled and said, _"Your choice will soon be made. Which will you choose? After all…All's fair to Love and War."_

She had no idea what that had meant. All's fair _to_ love and war? She'd never heard it be said that way before. And she was so confused, though she hadn't yet confronted Tulio about it.

Espie gazed around and sighed. She was standing next to the control center while Tulio drove the ship back to Camp Half-Blood. Frank was being filled in on the situation by Bobby, while Mark and Lacy sparred next to the mast.

Espie took a moment to consider Mark. The legacy of Jupiter had been getting gradually closer to her ever since the Grand Canyon. Kind of _uncomfortably_ close—yet for some reason she enjoyed his company. She had caught him staring quite a few times already, with a kind of glassy gaze, almost like when she would catch…

…Sammy Leo.

Espie blinked when she felt the familiar flush of her cheeks. _He's not even here and I'm like this? Go away blush. You don't like Sammy! He's just a friend!_

_But what about Mark?_

Esperanza's breath hitched. No. No, she couldn't have two…two guys fawning over her! She pushed that thought deep down. That was just not possible.

Sammy Leo came up on deck. He glanced around to look for something to do. Mark had paused in his spar for a second to lock eyes with the legacy of Mars.

Both of them shared a heated glare so intense Espie thought they both might catch fire.

Mark broke the stare-off first and pushed past Sammy to go below deck. As he passed, the half-Greek shoved the Roman with such fierce intensity Sammy actually stumbled. Sammy growled at Mark before heading over to Icarus.

He settled down next to the figurehead and started cleaning his sword.

Espie sighed and held her head in her hands. She looked up and glanced at Tulio, how was shaking his head. Something dawned on Espie.

"You know, don't you?" she asked her twin.

Tulio gave her a sideways glance. "Know what?"

"Mark and Sammy Leo."

Tulio didn't react. "What about them?"

"Do they…like me?"

Tulio looked at her with a sad smile. "What do you think?"

Espie groaned. "Both of them?"

"Both of them."

"Which one…likes me more?"

Tulio clicked his tongue. "That's cheating. Also, it's not my place to get involved with your love life."

"I got involved with yours."

Tulio gave her a withering glance, clearly remembering the Aphrodite Cabin incident when the whole Cabin had tried setting up the demititan with various girls. "That was different. Completely different. You weren't telling me who to love. You were just protecting me from having to confront those girls."

Espie sighed. "Well, who do you suggest I…confront about this? What's your preference?"

Tulio chuckled. "I have a preference on who I think you should date. But that would make you biased because I like him better than the other. This is completely your decision."

Espie wanted to punch her brother. "I hate you."

"Love you, too."

He grinned impishly at her for a moment, then let his expression soften. He held her hand again. "You can do this, Espie. Choosing between them won't kill one of them."

Espie gasped. "What if it does!?"

She retold what Janus had said to her. Tulio shrugged. "'All's fair to love and war'? Well, you've got two legacies here, one of love and one of war. That must be what Janus wants to choose between."

"How can I do this," Espie whimpered. "What if this is life and death—me choosing between those guys?"

"It won't be."

"How can you be sure?"

Tulio smiled. "I just am."

Espie was about to say something about that godsdamned smile of his, but something bright blinded her for a moment.

When her eyes adjusted again, her jaw fell open.

A god was standing there, on the deck of the _Argo II_. Frank was startled at his sight, momentarily turning into an iguana. Bobby yelped.

Sammy blinked at the god. "Grandfather?"

Espie internally smacked herself. How could she not recognize Pluto, the god of death and riches?

Pluto gave a wickedly creepy smile to Sammy Leo. "Hello, grandson. I'm glad you actually acknowledge me every once in a while like your brother and not that jarhead."

Sammy looked down. "I apologize, Grandfather. When we get home I'll make an extra offering for your shrine."

Pluto waved his hand, his golden cufflinks shining in the dimming moonlight. "Not why I'm here, but be sure you do that."

He glanced over at Iguana-Frank. "Amusing, son-in-law. Very amusing."

Frank turned back into a human. "Pardon, Lord Pluto. In my defense, you _did_ frighten me."

Another creepy smile lit up Pluto's face. Espie unhappily noticed that was the same smile Nico di Angelo got when he was in battle or right before he made a winning move in Poker. It was extremely scary.

"Glad I still got it," he said with a chuckle. "Down to business: I'm here in regards to my daughter. The one who imprisoned her had made it so her key could not be activated by anyone here."

"Well, we're on our way to get Gus," Sammy explained.

Pluto shook his head. "Let me rephrase; Hazel's key cannot be activated by anyone _living_. Only one person can activate it.

"Normally, I wouldn't get involved in things like this. In fact, I discourage such things. However, I love my daughter very much. I don't want her wasting away for eternity. That, and I don't want to be responsible for her captor being freed."

"Who is the one who captured us?" Frank asked. "I really want to punch them in the face for this."

"Get in line," Lacy snarled. "I called it first."

Pluto cleared his throat. "I cannot say who has done this, other than two of the Seven have dealt with this person before, and he is related to another of the Seven."

Everyone exchanged a glance. Who could it be? What one of their relatives would kidnap the parents and why?

"Anyway," the god continued. "I'm here to deliver the person who can help rescue my daughter and help continue the quest. When Hazel is freed, he shall be returned to the Underworld where he belongs."

Pluto began to glow. Espie shielded her eyes.

"Behave," Pluto's voice boomed. "Or I shall personally revoke your Elysium privileges."

When the light died down again, Espie rubbed her eyes. When she saw what Pluto left behind, her jaw dropped.

Where Pluto had been standing was now an unconscious Latino teen, dressed in clean grey slacks, a worn yellow button-up shirt, and a grey cap. Under his cap was a mop of curly black hair not unlike Espie's. He was breathing steadily, like he was asleep.

What really caught Espie's attention was how much this kid (who seemed about her age) resembled Tulio! It was like Espie was a triplet and not a twin!

Frank slumped his shoulders. His eyes flashed in recognition. He grumbled, "Oh, great…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Gee I wonder who this is?**_

_**:P**_

_**Plus, you know, a little romantically confused Espie xD**_

_**Also, you guys want to see what Tui and Espie look like as four-year-olds? Want some Caleo pics? Maybe even a Frazeleo picture? My DA is Winkekita :3 /shameless plug**_


	17. Sammy Valdez XVII

**_Saspie: 24_**

**_Espark: 24_**

**_Oho such a short chapter we've got!_**

**_But it does explain at least something from the last chapter :P_**

**_Yes, it is SAMMY VALDEZ!_**

**_This chapter is mainly filler on how he came from the Underworld. I felt like this needed to be said before I continued onward._**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/Teens are mine._**

* * *

><p><strong>XVII<strong>

**SAMMY VALDEZ**

_Sammy Valdez was enjoying a nice stroll on one of the many beaches in Elysium. Originally, he had thought this was just called Heaven, but a few others corrected him immediately. They said it was rare that a regular mortal got Elysium (he had no idea what that had meant) so he should really enjoy it._

_Sammy had just finished visiting his granddaughter, Esperanza, at her shop. He was so proud of her, though it felt really weird to see her the same age as he. Sammy chose to be in his adult form most of the time; upper twenties was a really good age to be here in Elysium, seeing as most who ended up here never reached that age._

_Sammy kicked a rock into the shifting water. He wished he didn't have to spend eternity alone like this. His wife and children were probably all in the Fields of Asphalt or whatever these people called it. He had asked what made Esperanza so special and she had said that Leo was the son of the Greek god Hephaestus and said god had pulled some strings with Hades to get her here. Sammy had been informed of the gods, so hearing his great-grandson was related to one didn't surprise him as much as it should've._

_Sammy looked out across the water, wishing Hazel could be here. He knew she was just like his little Leo, and that she had to be related to a god, too. She would have to come here eventually, right?_

_Yeah, okay, Sammy had a wonderful wife and a great family, but nothing ever compared to Hazel. She was always his biggest what-if. He had hoped that maybe they could spend eternity together here, to make up for what they lost in the world of the living._

_But for some reason she had yet to appear. One of those gods had told him that her time would not be in his lifetime, so that meant she must be living in Leo's time. It had been a while now, though, and there were victims of this Giant War now living down here. Maybe Hazel was blessed a long life? Or maybe she was already dead and hadn't ended up in Elysium…_

_Just as Sammy was shaking the thought away, a stranger walked up to him. He was dressed in a black pinstripe suit, something Sammy rarely saw in his older years. As the man drew closer, Sammy could see the fabric was woven with desperate and screaming souls. His cane was encrusted with various jewels._

_Sammy bowed, not knowing what else to do._

_"Rise, Samuel Valdez," the man said. "I have come for you."_

_Sammy gulped. "Have I done something wrong, sir?"_

_"No." The god examined his cane like he was bored. "You have done nothing wrong. You're one of the quietest Elysium souls we have, which gives me less of a headache._

_"No, I am here to deliver you to the world of the living."_

_Sammy's eyebrows shot up. "But I never asked to be reborn!"_

_The god shook his head and sighed. "Your generation was always jumping to conclusions. My daughter is in trouble and the only one who can help her is you."_

_"Your daughter?"_

_"Hazel Levesque."_

_Sammy blinked and nodded furiously. "If she's in trouble, I'll do anything to help! What must I do?"_

_The god waved his hand. Sammy shrank back into his teenage form—something he hadn't been for a long time. "Activate her key and travel with the present and future. When she is freed, I'll allow you a few minutes with her."_

_The Underworld around Sammy grew dim. Sammy could feel himself solidifying, his form becoming real. A heartbeat suddenly appeared in his chest and he felt the warmth of pumping blood course through him._

_He collapsed. Exhaustion (something else Sammy hadn't felt in a long time) crashed into him and he suddenly felt like he needed a nice nap._

_Before he passed out, he heard the god say, "Behave. Or I shall personally revoke your Elysium privileges."_

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Okay! That clear at least one thing up for you guys? :D**_


	18. Sammy Valdez XVIII

**_Phew, okay. Y'know, this whole situation was supposed to be Sammy being transported forward in time from 1943. But, I nixed the idea because it was really random. So, I had him already be dead and brought to life temporarily by Pluto/Hades himself. Much less random :P But it makes more sense than the first idea._**

**_I am no longer taking votes for the Espie ship. You guys may keep saying who you like, but I won't be keeping track anymore._**

**_This is because I feel like the same guest reviewer is voting for Espark over and over again. It annoyed me that they even went to the first chapter and put their vote in that review. So, no more voting. It's not like you got any prize for guessing right anyway, so what was the point of cheating?_**

**_You guys will find out whose ship will sail when it comes to Piper's rescue. *legasp at spoiler* Until then, squirm._**

**_Once again, let me repeat: NO MORE VOTES._**

**_Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a little weird, but the ending will probably have you yelling at me again! xD_**

**_By the way, I ship these: Caleo, Frazel(eo), and Hammy. I feel like Hammy needs to exist a little bit, don't you? They're so cute together and I wish we got to see more of a relationship between the two before Hazel had to go to Alaska... :(_**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/Teens are mine._**

* * *

><p><strong>XVIII<strong>

**SAMMY VALDEZ**

Sammy regained consciousness without opening his eyes. He was lying on what felt like a hardwood floor, though it kept swaying underneath him. A light breeze ruffled his curls, tickling his face.

Voices kept ringing in his ears.

_"Where'd he come from!?"_

_"The Underworld, stupid, didn't you hear Lord Pluto?"_

_"Who is he?"_

_"He looks a lot like _Papi_!"_

Sammy groaned, wanting to make the voices stop. He clutched his head.

_"Hey, you okay?"_

Sammy's eyes fluttered open. Large brown eyes were looking down at him. He yelped and nearly crashed his head into them.

The person squealed and sat back. Sammy noticed this was a girl. She was Hispanic, with curly black hair and big brown eyes. Wait…

…she looked just like his granddaughter, Esperanza!

"E-Espera—" He stopped himself. _No,_ he thought. _That's not little Anza. She's down in Elysium right now. This girl's name can't be Esperanza._

The girl cocked an eyebrow. "You know my name?"

_Or maybe it can be…_

"Sorry," Sammy said. "It's just…you look a lot like this woman I know. Her name's Esperanza Valdez."

The girl smiled sadly. "That's my _abuela_. I'm named after her. My name's Esperanza Grace Valdez. You can call me Espie."

Sammy blinked. Her _abuela_? Then that had to mean…

He looked around and studied the surrounding people. Four teens and one adult. The other girl in the group was white. She had blonde hair cascading down her shoulders with intense green eyes. A younger lad right next to her had scruffy black hair and grey eyes. They shared similar features, so Sammy assumed these two must be siblings.

A colored kid sat directly behind Espie. He had really intense golden eyes that reminded Sammy of Hazel—which first made him sad, then reminded him that she was in trouble.

Next to the colored kid was a tall, muscular Asian man. He had a kind face, but something about this guy made Sammy very suspicious. What was that feeling he had suddenly felt in the pit of his stomach? Resentment? Jealousy? Whatever it was, Sammy decided he didn't like this man.

And finally, way back behind the group was another Mexican. He wasn't paying attention to the group surrounding Sammy. Whatever he was doing, Sammy didn't want to know. He kept waving his arms while holding a little box and mini steering wheel. It made Sammy's head hurt. But this kid looked exactly like Sammy! Only, he was way grungier and greasier. _Could that be my stunt double, Leo?_

Espie followed his gaze and took a look at the boy at the…what even _was_ that area? She looked back at Sammy. "That's Tulio, my twin brother."

_Tulio, huh? Brother…then, little Leo…_

"If you don't mind my asking," Sammy began. "Would your father happen to be one Leo Valdez?"

Espie grinned the same way Sammy usually grinned. "He's our _Papi_!"

Sammy smiled. _Oh, Anza's going to be so happy to hear that!_ "That's…uh…great!" It finally hit him that these children of Leo were Sammy's great-great grandchildren…

…his brain was going to implode from weirdness.

"May I ask who the rest of you are?" he ventured.

The blonde spoke first. "I'm Lacy Jackson. This is my brother, Bobby."

She had motioned to the black-haired boy, who nodded and said, "Hello."

The man spoke next. "I'm Frank Zhang."

Sammy nodded at him, still pretty wary.

Then the colored kid piped up. "I'm his son, Sammy Leo Zhang. You can call me Sammy."

Sammy grimaced. "Oh…well…I don't think that's going to work."

"Why not?"

"My name is Sammy. Sammy Valdez."

Frank sighed. "I knew it."

Espie glared at the Asian, but then looked softly at Sammy. "So…Sammy Sr. or Sammy Jr?"

Sammy smiled. "Senior. And, to break the ice; yes, I know you're my descendant. I remember holding Leo in my arms when he was a baby. To see that he's all grown up now with kids of his own…well, that makes me feel older!"

Espie smiled. "So, you remember being alive?"

"Of course I do." Sammy looked over at Tulio, then back at Espie. "I can't wait to tell your _abuela_ of my adventures up here with her grandchildren! She'll be jealous!"

The group laughed. Well, almost everyone laughed. Frank and Other-Sammy were still looking uncomfortable.

"Do you remember Hazel?" Other-Sammy asked.

Sammy nodded. "Yes, I do. I've been waiting a long time to see her again. I was told she was in trouble."

Other-Sammy nodded. "Yeah…before we go into that, though…I think you should know about what she's been up to."

He rummaged through his pockets. A few seconds later, he pulled out a picture and handed it to Sammy.

The image was so sharp Sammy felt he could reach in and touch the people within it. There were four people present in the photograph: a younger-looking Frank, a child version of Other-Sammy, another colored child with smoother black hair and dark eyes…

…and Hazel.

She was older than last Sammy had seen her, about ten years older perhaps? Fifteen, maybe? All he could tell was that she had become a beautiful woman. And she had started a family…

…without him.

It broke his heart. Now he understood what had made him so uncomfortable around Frank. He was her husband!

_Don't be jealous_, he scolded himself. _You went and did it first with Maria. Plus, you've been dead for decades now. It's only fair Hazel found someone else…_

It still hurt him to think that Hazel had let Sammy go, even though he had let her go before he died.

Sammy looked at Frank, who was shifting uncomfortably. The Latino smiled and held out his hand. "You're very lucky to have her, Mr. Zhang. I'm glad she can be happy with you."

Frank smiled and shook his hand. "Thanks. You know, she never forgot you."

Sammy laughed and shoved a finger in Other-Sammy's direction. "I suppose she named this lad after me?"

"That was my idea, but yeah."

The guys laughed. Other-Sammy shifted at the attention.

"You said your name was Sammy Leo," Sammy ventured. "Any particular reason you have my great grandson's name, too? Or is it just because the Valdez family is so magnificent your family had to copy us?"

Lacy snorted. "Geeze, now we know where the sass originated from in the Valdez family!"

Bobby chuckled. "He's just like Leo!"

"Other way around," Sammy corrected. "I came first."

Other-Sammy interrupted the oncoming argument. "Mom said I was named for you and Leo. You because…well, you know why. And Leo because he had been thought dead for a long time. It was still that way when I was born, so Mom and Dad gave me his name. That's why I like going by Sammy Leo, and not just Sammy."

The Latino smiled. "That's sweet. Speaking of Leo…is he here on the…what even _is_ this?"

It finally dawned on him that he was not on normal ground. It looked like he was on a ship…

"This is the _Argo II_," Lacy announced. "A flying Greek warship!"

Sammy didn't say anything to that. _Modern technology has certainly advanced! I thought planes and rockets were something back when I was really their age. Now mankind has flying ships? Who needs water travel!_

"To answer your question," Espie said. "Yes, my father is here. He's below deck right now. Though…he kinda got sick a little bit before you arrived."

Sammy gave her an apologetic look. "That's too bad. I should probably stay away from him until he gets better, right? Don't want to freak him out with all this strangeness."

Frank chuckled. "We've seen stranger things than people coming back to life. Hazel actually came back to life when Leo and I were teens."

He went on to explain Hazel's life up to this point; how she had died in Alaska six months after leaving New Orleans; how she came back to life almost 70 years later; her involvement in this weird war against giants and the earth itself; how she was related to the Roman god of death and riches—which Sammy kind of already knew, since the god had introduced himself to Sammy.

It was a bit much to take in, but, being dead, Sammy had an easy time believing most of it. Were he still the ignorant old man from a few decades ago, he might have turned his nose up at the whole 'dying and coming back to life' thing. But now he was actually doing just that. The universe was just full of surprises.

Suddenly, a yell came from the stairs that most likely led to the lower decks of the ship.

A tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed man ran onto the deck, panting and looking flustered. The blonde man raced across the deck and stood beside Frank.

Frank asked, "What's wrong, Jason?"

The man—Jason—huffed, "It's Leo. He's…"

Esperanza stiffened. "What's wrong with _Papi_?"

_Leo?_ Sammy thought. _I hope he's alright! I don't want to come back to life to see my great-grandson suddenly die!_

Jason grimaced. "Well…he's not _sick_ anymore…"

Footsteps echoed on the stairs. A blonde woman with teary grey eyes burst onto the deck. She was clutching her stomach, laughing.

"Oh, gods," she giggled. "That's hilarious! I'd be concerned, but right now I need to laugh at this! I'm sorry, it's just too rich!" She burst into a fit of laughter again, using the railing to steady herself.

Another figure appeared on deck.

It was a small Hispanic teen boy with curly black hair, deep brown eyes, and impish features—pointy ears, round face, etc. He was scrawny, his clothes _literally_ hanging off him. The boy was holding up his way too big overalls with one hand and waving a worn tool belt in the other. He had a deep scowl on his face.

"It's not funny, Annabeth!" he yelled in an all-too-familiar voice.

This boy had to be Leo, though Sammy was confused about his appearance and youthful look. Apparently, this was not a normal thing, for everyone's reactions just screamed abnormality.

Other-Sammy burst out laughing. "You shrank," he howled in laughter.

Espie giggled, trying to hide her amusement. "_Papi_, you look just like Tulio, now!"

Frank was red-faced, failing at hiding his smile.

The boy's scowl deepened. "I will set you all on fire," he threatened.

Sammy was scared of this, but the others seemed to just laugh harder. _Does he always threaten them with fire? Wait, why would he say that in the first place?_

Then he remembered Esperanza telling him Leo had been born with the gift of fire. She had said poor Leo couldn't control it as a child.

_Well at least he's confident enough with it now to make threats with it…_

Then Leo locked eyes with Sammy. He tilted his head. "Why's Tulio dressed like that?" he asked distractedly.

Tulio piped up behind the boy, "I'm over here, _Papi_."

The boy kept turning his head back and forth between Tulio and Sammy so fast Sammy thought he might get whiplash.

Sammy waved at his great-grandson. "Hello, Leo. I bet you wouldn't remember me…much less recognize me at this age!"

Leo blinked multiple times, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"_Bisabuelo_?" he asked disbelievingly.

Sammy nodded, smiling warmly. "Yes."

Leo's eyes rolled to the back of his head. He collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.

Sammy exchanged a glance with Frank. Frank shrugged. "I said we've seen stranger. I never said Leo would be able to handle something of this magnitude. Especially when he's dealing with his own weirdness."

Sammy nodded and walked over to his stunt-double. He shook his head at the passed-out Valdez. "Today's just not his day, is it?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Hee hee. Plot twists all around!**_

_**Happy Halloween everybody!**_


	19. Sammy Valdez XIX

**I'm keeping this long AN up for future reference. So, unless I specifically mention you, PLEASE READ:**

**To all my faithful and polite watchers (IE: Chris, PercyJacksonOracle, Cats, SilverWing, Datfangirl, Awesomest Person, Awesome as Annabeth, ArtemisApollo, and many others who are perfectly fine) Please disregard this message. This is not directed at or for you.**

**Let me just say this to all of you who have nothing better to do than to tell me to update or write faster: FUCKING EXCUSE ME FOR BEING AN ADULT AND HAVING A FUCKING JOB! Yes, I have a life outside of Fanfiction, unlike most of the little teenagers that post on here (not that I'm complaining, I love some of those stories). My 12-hour shift job kind of gets priority over this, especially since I am not allowed to bring my computer or use any of my personal things besides notebooks and sketchbooks at work.**

**I DON'T UPDATE BECAUSE YOU TELL ME TO. I DON'T WRITE THINGS BECAUSE YOU TELL ME TO. THIS IS MY STORY NOT YOURS. SHUT THE FUCK UP.**

**If you want something to happen, there's this neat thing called 'logging in and posting your own story'. As I said before in a previous chapter, I am not taking requests about who or what to put in this already planned-out story.**

**You annoy me greatly and make me want to NOT update because of your whining at me to update. I don't care if you make a big review and then put a 'please update' at the end. I can handle that. What I _can't_ handle is a review with nothing but UPDATE or telling me what I should write for later in the story.**

**And if you say, 'You're rude. I'm gonna stop reading now' well then consider this: 'WRITE FASTER' or 'YOU NEED TO UPDATE ASAP' or 'YOU SHOULD WRITE THIS/ADD THAT' is just as rude. If you unfollow because I am telling you to be patient (in a rude way, I admit) then that's your loss. Not mine.**

**In the end, there is only one fact:**

**This is my story—with Rick's characters, yes, but still my story.**

***ahem***

**Now, on to the story.**

**This is more of a Leo chapter than anything. Some people put me in a bad mood, so in return you get a filler chapter with a semi-angsty Leo.**

**So there. :(**

**EDIT: I fixed something about the angsty-Leo. I had forgotten it actually ran with canon, so thanks to a guest I have fixed it! :)**

**As said before: I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/teens (Sammy and Leo excluded) are mine.**

* * *

><p><strong>XIX<strong>

**SAMMY VALDEZ**

It took a while for Leo to wake up again. By that time, Sammy had been filled in completely on the situation with the missing adults. Other-Sammy had given him a black key with a diamond-encrusted end. The moment Sammy touched it, the key hovered in midair and words appeared over it:

**_The Daughter of Death who has lived twice,_**

**_Must be saved by past, present, and future alike._**

The blonde woman, whose name was Annabeth, had announced that this clue was pretty obvious in nature; Sammy was past, Leo was present, and Tulio was possibly future. All three of them looked almost exactly alike.

Other-Sammy had protested that he was 'future', to which Lacy and Jason agreed. Other-Sammy had both Sammy and Leo's names, and was as much a presence in Hazel's life as the Valdezes. Tulio didn't impact Hazel as much as he had. Sammy had to agree with that.

So, 'Past' and 'Present' had been found. 'Future' was To Be Determined. Whatever the case, they would have to work together to save Hazel.

Tulio was still 'driving' the ship, Hazel's key pointing the way in his hand. Sammy didn't even want to go near the boy while he was waving his arms around like a lunatic. All that work to drive a ship seemed counter-productive. Tulio seemed like a nice enough lad, but Sammy didn't want to get accidentally smacked in the face.

Meanwhile, after Leo had woken up and gotten used to the weirdness that was his _bisabuelo_ being on the ship, he realized that he had been turned into a teenager—much like Pluto had done to Sammy.

"Pluto must have done that," Bobby noted.

"But why," Leo whined. "I was fine the way I was! I had stubble, clothes that fit…I HAD MUSCLES!"

He made a show over his loss, flailing about in an over-glorified way. The others rolled their eyes, but Sammy just laughed. His great-grandson had his sense of humor!

Eventually, he dropped his overalls completely, revealing almost-too-large blue boxers.

"The return of Blue Bottom," Jason said with a smirk.

"Stuff it, brick lover," Leo spat. He turned around and faced the control center. "Tulio! Imma need some extra clothes!"

Tulio cocked an eyebrow. He looked like he was about to say something when Espie said, "I got something for you, _Papi_. Here."

She threw a bag at Leo. He looked inside and grimaced immediately. "Fuck. No."

"Ah, ah," Annabeth scolded. "Teenagers don't curse."

"This one does, dammit," Leo shot back. "I need to vent somehow, so it's either cursing or setting something on fire!"

"Go change," Frank said bluntly.

"But—"

"It's either that or you stay in your undies," Espie threatened. "'Cause Tulio ain't handing over a single article of clothing to you."

Leo grumbled. "Fine."

He stomped away, mumbling something about a marker.

Sammy shrugged and walked over to the railing. He watched the clouds swirling below quickly.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, Sammy was still leaning on the rail. He had spaced out, thinking about Hazel and her family compared to Sammy and his own.<p>

Sure, eventually he got to see a happy family, but the truth was that Maria had never really made Sammy feel complete. Sam Jr. and his brothers didn't fill that hole either. Sammy always felt out of place, even in his own family. The 'happy family' picture didn't come in until Esperanza had Leo. Okay, so the rest of the family (starting with Rosa, his least favorite grandchild) had shunned poor Anza for that pregnancy, but Sammy stayed by her side until the bitter end—literally. Maybe it was because he knew Hazel would be with Leo, or maybe Anza actually made him feel better. Maybe it was because he had finally let Hazel go in his old age. Whatever it was, that part of his life had been the best part after Hazel's moving to Alaska.

And hey, Leo had started up his own family—who looked a lot happier than the 'post-Sammy' Valdez family—so it hadn't turned out too bad.

Speaking of whom, little Leo heaved an exaggerated sigh behind him. Sammy turned and cocked an eyebrow at his wardrobe.

He was wearing really tight jeans, suspenders, and a white t-shirt that had **_TEAM _**_*unreadable scribble*** LEO**_ scrawled across the front. For some reason, he wasn't wearing any shoes.

As if reading Sammy's thoughts, Leo huffed, "I _had_ pretty big feet before. No one else has shoes in my teenager size."

"Not even Tulio?" Sammy prompted.

"He's got his mother's petite feet. And Espie—who _does_ have my size—is the only girl in the world who owns _one_ pair of shoes."

"What is scribbled out on your shirt?"

Leo grimaced. "Tulio just did a show in Vegas and got a bunch of free merchandise for it. Espie made me wear his **_Team Tulio_** shirt. I refuse to wear anything that doesn't say **_Team Leo_**."

"_Team Leo_?" Sammy smiled. "What on earth does that mean?"

Leo shook his head in amusement. "You wouldn't understand. It was kind of a friendship-bonding inside joke between me and Hazel."

Sammy smiled wider. "Glad to know you and Hazel became good friends."

Leo walked over to the rail and leaned up against it. Sammy returned to his leaning position.

"Me and Hazel had shared a vision of you telling me to find her. Y'know, when I was a baby," Leo explained. "I told her you said hello, afterwards, too."

Sammy closed his eyes and smiled. "Thanks. I knew you'd be a good stunt-double."

Leo grinned and bowed his head. "You're very welcome." He paused. "How's…how's Mom? Do you know?"

"She's happy in Elysium," Sammy told him. "Got her own shop. One of your half siblings visits there from time to time. A fellow by the name of Beckendorf, I believe?"

"Never met him, but he's a legend in camp," Leo said. "But he's nothing compared to me." He puffed out his chest. "I'm the most legendary son of Hephaestus ever!"

Sammy rolled his eyes. "Definitely my descendant," he noted. "Got my arrogance and everything."

"But at least we admit it."

The Valdez boys laughed.

After a few seconds, they fell silent and stared out at the horizon. Sammy glanced over and studied Leo. He frowned slightly in thought.

"Mind if I ask you a random question?"

Leo shrugged. "Random's kind of a trade-mark Valdez specialty. Shoot."

"From what I can tell, fashion has changed since I was a true teenager. Even in my old age it seemed that a certain article of clothing had fallen out of fashion. Yet you seem to like it."

"What article of clothing would that be?"

"Why suspenders?"

Leo fell silent.

Sammy asked again, "I mean, why choose suspenders when there are perfectly good belts? Even your son seems to prefer belts over suspenders."

Leo still hesitated, his expression grim and dark. "I…I don't like belts…" he mumbled.

"Why not? There's nothing wrong with them."

Leo bowed his head briefly. When he looked up, he looked pained. "I'm sure you've guessed that I didn't have a nice childhood?"

Sammy nodded. With Esperanza in Elysium, Sammy assumed his other granddaughter Rosa had taken Leo in. Not exactly a fantastic motherly figure, though. Sammy did not like her in the least.

"Well…" Leo sighed. "After Mom joined you in Elysium, Rosa cast me out of the family. She sent me into the foster system without so much as a second glance."

Sammy made a mental note to ask Pluto to reserve a spot in Eternal Punishment for Rosa—just on a temporary basis, perhaps. _I'll kick her butt myself for doing that to Leo._

"Anyway," Leo continued, "After a few run-aways—don't ask why, just know I ran away from all the homes I was sent to—I was sent to a home with a…highly religious woman. Her name was Teresa." He seemed to spit that name out with mild hatred. "She sensed something was wrong with me. I'll give you a hint; she somehow knew about my fire abilities."

Sammy winced. He didn't like where this was going.

"She thought the devil was inside of me and…" he paused, his face scrunched up in pain. "…and she believed the best way to get rid of it was to take her husband's extra-thick leather belt and…"

He never finished that sentence. Leo put his head in his hands and stifled a few sobs.

Sammy patted him on the back. He had no idea how to comfort Leo about this. Sure, Sammy had dealt with things like racism and war back in the day. But domestic abuse? Sammy hadn't experienced that first-hand. His parents never beat him unless he had done something extremely crazy.

"I…I still have scars on my back from that…belt," Leo whispered, his voice broken. His hand traced his lower back, and he winced as if a phantom pain came back to him. "That's why I wear either suspenders or overalls…"

Sammy nodded. "I'm sorry I asked."

Suddenly, arms wrapped around Leo from behind, making the son of Hephaestus yelp in surprise. Sammy blinked and smiled as Esperanza hugged Leo.

"Don't be sad, _Papi_," she said softly. "You've got me and Tulio now. And Mom. _We're_ your family. Not those awful people."

Leo smiled and twirled around to hug his daughter. "I know. I'll be fine. Thanks, Espie."

Espie smiled. "Anytime, _Papi_. Feel better, 'kay?"

Leo gave a prize-winning smile. "You got it, sweetie."

She left to go talk to Tulio, who was watching the scene with worried eyes.

Sammy turned back to Leo, who was tugging on his suspenders subconsciously.

"I really am sorry," Sammy said. "I shouldn't have asked about the suspenders."

Leo shrugged. "Nah. You couldn't have known. Actually, I don't normally freak out about that. Must be the teenage hormones getting to me…I haven't gotten that emotional for years!"

Sammy clapped him on the back. "Being a teenager is hard, little Leo."

Leo nodded. "Yeah. It fuckin' sucks, _bisabuelo_."

Sammy frowned. "Cursing doesn't suit you."

Leo grinned impishly, another thing he had inherited from Sammy. "It does when I'm my proper age."

"_Papi_! _Tatarabuelo_!"

Both Valdezes turned towards Tulio (Sammy could not believe someone was calling him _tatarabuelo_, and tried not to be too excited by it). The key in Tulio's hand was glowing brighter and starting to point downwards.

"We've arrived," he announced.

Sammy and Leo turned around and looked over the rail. City lights were dim against the early morning sun. Various food smells assaulted Sammy's nose. The familiar streets gave him a huge sense of nostalgia.

"Wow," Sammy breathed out. "I haven't been to New Orleans in decades!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: *cue the Princess and the Frog music***_

_**That belt-suspender idea actually came from**_**Stronger Than the Hero's** _**by Bluelightningbug, in which Reyna notices a scar from a belt when Leo is dangling by his shirt from Festus's mouth. I now strongly believe that it is possible one of Leo's foster homes beat him.**_

_**EDIT:**__** I changed it from father to mother. Thank you to Pridewing for reminding me of Teresa! I had completely forgotten about her! :D**_

_**Still in a bad mood, but at least you got your damn update. Instead of sacrificing quality, I gave you unhappy Leo past. Deal. With. It.**_

_**Thank you to those who supported that gigantic Author's Note when it was a chapter. And to those who woke up or read their emails to find a full chapter and not just the note, I hope you read it. Because if it happens again, I will keep posting that note at the beginning of every goddamn chapter of every mother-fucking multi-chapter story I write. I back up my threats.**_


	20. Sammy Valdez XX

**_Special chapter #20!_**

**_Last Sammy Valdez chapter, everybody! That doesn't mean it's the last we'll see of him!_**

**_You guys are gonna be freaking out by the end of this chapter! *bounces up and down in excitement*_**

_**Remember my (not-Espie) ships that I advertised earlier? One of them is about to rear its funny little head :D**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/teens (Sammy and Leo excluded) are mine.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XX<strong>

**SAMMY VALDEZ**

Sammy was surprised at how much things had changed in New Orleans. Granted, he hadn't been in the state of Louisiana since the 50s, but that was beside the point.

Many of the old buildings had been replaced by newer ones, though a lot of the additions seemed broken.

"A lot of the older buildings were probably destroyed by Katrina," Leo said.

"Who's Katrina?" Sammy asked.

Other-Sammy just about died. "You did not just ask that!"

Sammy just looked at him with a confused expression.

Leo smacked Other-Sammy upside the head. "Dummy," he scolded. "My _bisabuelo_ wasn't alive for that! Don't patronize him for it!"

The two began a slap-fest. Sammy shook his head and let his attention wander back to Tulio, who was currently leading the way with Hazel's key. The boy was quiet, quite a change from the other Valdez family members (both dead and alive). Tulio had said he got that quietness from his mother's side.

Jason had suggested sending Frank with the group as a chaperone, but Leo and Sammy immediately protested; they were both plenty old enough to chaperone Other-Sammy and Tulio!

Sammy pulled at the suspenders on his shoulders. To avoid getting weird stares because of his old-century wardrobe, he had borrowed some extra clothes from Tulio—ones that didn't say **_TEAM TULIO/LEO_** on them. He was tempted to write **_TEAM SAMMY_** on his clean white shirt, but thought against it. It was embarrassing enough that Leo and Tulio both had team shirts on. Sammy figured Other-Sammy wouldn't want to be left out either.

Leo tripped over something and yelped. He still didn't have any shoes on, so whatever he had run into had hurt.

"Dammit," he cursed.

Sammy wished he could wash that boy's mouth out with soap. _I'll tell Anza,_ he thought. _When Leo gets down to Elysium, she'll wash his mouth for years. That'll teach him!_

Things began to get older. Neighborhoods somehow grew familiar. Sammy noticed old and condemned buildings, littered with bright letters—graffiti.

He found himself leading the way. He grabbed the key out of Tulio's hand, though at this point something was telling him to go this way.

Then they arrived.

The group was standing at an old abandoned stable. A sign read _Condemned. Do Not Enter._

"Where are we?" Leo asked.

"I used to work here," Sammy explained. "Got a dollar every two weeks for taking care of the horses.

"A dollar?" Tulio asked incredulously. "That's all?"

"That was the price for two movie tickets back then," Sammy huffed. "It was a lot! Plus, y'know, lots of people around here weren't willing to give a job to a Mexican."

"Why?"

"Racism."

Other-Sammy's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Yes. Hard to believe racism was a thing, isn't it?" He had said that with a little more venom than intended.

It took a moment for Sammy to realize that their whole group at the moment was all colored and Mexican people. If they had been together like this back in the 30's, Sammy was sure they would have been arrested just on suspicion. Now no one threw them so much as a sideways-glance.

Tulio shuffled his feet. "Awkward conversation is awkward."

"Agreed," Leo said softly.

Sammy coughed. "Sorry, let's just get going."

He moved to step forward, but then ran right into a wall. Well, it felt like a wall. He placed a hand in front of him, feeling around. It was like the place was surrounded by a giant glass bubble…

Tulio examined the wall. "It's a force field," he observed. "Pure magic. Whoever has been doing this didn't want Hazel to be easily reached."

"How do we get through?" Other-Sammy asked.

Tulio sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He gazed at the magic wall a moment longer, then held up his hands. "I'll absorb it. My Titan's magic should do the trick."

He began to glow orange, his eyes turning neon orange. The force field shimmered and bent towards the Latino.

Sammy leaned over and whispered to Leo, "What did he mean 'Titan's magic'?"

"My wife is a former Titaness," Leo said absent-mindedly as he fiddled with something in his hands.

"Excuse me?"

Other-Sammy rolled his eyes. "Calypso used to be a Titan. Leo rescued her from a prison and she became mortal a few years later. She was still a Titan when she had Tulio and Espie, so both of them are demititans, not just legacies of gods like Lacy, Mark, Bobby and me."

Sammy's eyebrows shot up. "Demititans, huh? Goodness, Anza is going to be surprised at who her daughter-in-law is!"

Both Sammys laughed. Leo glanced at them, confused. The metal bird in his hands took off and landed in Other-Sammy's hair. It tangled itself in the afro and nested.

Other-Sammy swatted at it. "Mr. Valdez! My hair has been known to eat coins! Get the bird out before it disappears! Now!"

Leo chuckled and somehow got the entangled bird out. He disassembled it within seconds.

Sammy was impressed by his mechanical knowledge. The Beckendorf kid down in Elysium would be extremely jealous.

Tulio collapsed suddenly. Other-Sammy yelped when he crashed into him. The force field was gone now, but Sammy could now see something the force field had been hiding…

There was a wall of fire immediately surrounding the entrance to the stables!

Leo looked up from caring for his son and his eyes widened. "Oh…okay. I see why I'm here."

He cracked his knuckles. "_Bisabuelo_. Sammy Leo. Get ready to catch me."

"Pardon?" Sammy asked.

"Tulio was meant to absorb the magic barrier. I'm meant to absorb the fire barrier. Then you two can go inside and rescue Hazel. Got it?"

Other-Sammy nodded. Sammy hesitated before doing the same. "What do we do with you and Tulio?"

Leo gave him a grin. "Let sleeping Valdezes lie. There aren't any monsters nearby, I should hope. We'll be fine."

With that, he faced the fire and held his hands out. The flames tunneled towards him and his skin glowed with the heat. His face screwed up in concentration.

"Ain't so bad," he groaned through his teeth. "Not as bad as letting my whole life force loose on Gaea!"

The last of the flames entered his body and Leo fell to the ground with a soft _thump_! He was unconscious, peacefully asleep.

Other-Sammy stepped over him and opened the door to the stable. "Let's go before something else comes up."

Sammy glanced back at his descendants. Both of them were snoring soundly, looking identical in their sleep.

He turned and followed Other-Sammy into the stables.

* * *

><p>They both checked each abandoned stall quickly. Finally, after what felt like hours of searching, Sammy found Hazel.<p>

She was lying prone in the hay, covered in thin, black chains. A lock in the shape of a diamond was fused into her chest, right over her heart.

"Mom!" Other-Sammy cried.

He had meant to run right up to her and unlock her. But, he was hit with another field. He slammed right into the invisible wall.

"No!" he wailed. "No! Mom!"

He beat against the wall helplessly. Tears streamed down his face. "I want to help you," he mumbled. "I didn't get to help Dad…I really want to help you…"

He slid down the force field and cried.

Sammy placed a hand onto his shoulder. "We'll wait for Tulio to wake up. He can absorb this barrier, too."

Other-Sammy sniffled. "No," he muttered. "I'm not meant to help. I never was." He looked Sammy right in the eye. "Present and Future have done their job. You're her past."

Sammy blinked. "Me? But…I can't do anything!"

"Try?"

Sammy glanced at the wall. He went to touch it and fell through easily. He caught himself before toppling onto Hazel.

Other-Sammy sighed dejectedly. "I'll wait outside," he said. "Make sure Leo and Tulio are okay…"

Sammy nodded and watched the young lad go. He wished he could help the poor boy, but realized Hazel needed his help more.

He took out the key and unlocked Hazel.

The chains disappeared and the lock melted into her skin. Sammy waited. He had been told that all the other parents had woken up immediately after being unlocked.

Yet Hazel slept on. She looked so beautiful and peaceful, almost glowing. Sammy smiled at how well she had aged.

He let some sort of instinct take over and bent down. He felt himself grow older again, to the same age he had been in Elysium.

He silently laughed at the situation. This felt like the old Disney movies, Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. He hoped Frank would forgive him for what he was about to do...

Sammy Valdez leaned forward more, hesitating only a moment before kissing Hazel fully on the lips.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: ...**_

_**...**_

_**...**_

_**:o**_

_**Good gods what a plot twist! And you thought I couldn't dish any more out!**_

_**0:D**_


	21. Hazel XXI

**_Phew. That was fun. Your reactions were positively the best I've received so far._**

**_I TOTALLY SHIP HAMMY!_**

**_But not as hard as I ship Frazel. Frazel is better than Hammy, I will admit. I just wanted a little Hammy action in this story._**

**_Don't worry, Frazel fans! I've fixed it._**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/teens (Sammy and Leo excluded) are mine.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXI<strong>

**HAZEL**

Hazel Levesque Zhang woke up kissing someone.

It was a pleasant surprise for sure! Her eyes fluttered open.

A Latino man was leaning over her, his deep brown gaze soft and warming.

"L-Leo?" Hazel stammered. What was he doing?! She was about to slap the daylights out of that idiot.

The man smiled. "Good guess. But incorrect."

"Then who—?"

"Miss Lamar," the man said with an over-dramatic director's voice, "I do believe that kiss scene was superb. Your husband will certainly be jealous!"

Hazel's eyes widened in recognition. "S-Sammy!?"

Sammy Valdez bowed. "At your service once more. For a limited time only, though."

Hazel found herself hugging her old friend tightly. He was really there! He was _real_!

"Sammy," she murmured. "I can't believe…how did you even…?"

Sammy broke the hug and looked at her with sad eyes. "Your father allowed me to live for a short period of time. I was the only one who could rescue you. I've only got a few minutes now."

Hazel felt a tear trail down her cheek. "So…"

Sammy wiped it away. "I'm okay, Hazel." He smiled sweetly. "I got Elysium, so I'm pretty happy."

Hazel smiled back. She felt relief in knowing her old flame got Elysium, even as a regular mortal.

"I like Frank, by the way. He's good to you, I can tell. So, if you wouldn't mind…maybe keep what just happened our little secret?"

Hazel then remembered that she had woken up kissing someone. And that someone had been _Sammy Valdez_!

She punched him in the arm. He yelped.

"You _ass_!" she yelled at him. "You've met Frank and you _know_ that I'm married—plus, I'm pretty sure _you're_ married—and you had the _gall_ to kiss me!?"

Sammy looked at her with a serious expression. Then it turned sad. "I…My wife and children never got Elysium. Esperanza did, and at least little Leo will when he finally comes…But I've been alone for a long time, Hazel…I don't think I can say I'm married anymore…"

"That doesn't give you the right to…" Hazel trailed off.

Sammy nodded. "I know. But, you wouldn't wake up and I had no other idea on what to do…so…it just kinda…_happened_. I'm very sorry! I know this will make things awkward now, but…"

He lowered his gaze. "Please. Don't be mad. And…don't let that come between you and Frank! You two are very happy together, I can see that! It's very apparent in the way you raised your son. Thanks for that, by the way." He winked. "I love the tribute."

Hazel smiled even though she was still a little ticked off at him. "I never forgot you."

"And I never forgot you," he said. "I let you go, Hazel. But, it never felt like a true good-bye. Let that kiss be my true 'good-bye, have fun in Alaska' kiss that I never got to give you all those years ago. So, can you let that slip-up go? Let's forget that happened and enjoy the few minutes I've got left?"

She looked at Sammy and hesitantly nodded. "Okay," she said. "I'll let it go…But, what now?"

Sammy smiled. "Now? Maybe I can ask: When you finally meet me for real again—in Elysium—can we just…what's the word the young kids used? Can we 'hang out'? You, me, and Frank. We could go have fun together."

"You'd be a third wheel," Hazel commented.

He shrugged. "It's better than being a one wheel. I'm not looking to be in a relationship again, Hazel. That part of my life—or death, in my case—is long gone. I started my family, lived my dream. I'm content with just wandering around with friends for eternity. And if you two get all touchy-feely with each other, I'll go bother my granddaughter. Or little Leo."

"We could go horseback riding," she suggested.

"I'll make you a smushed cupcake and everything," he said with a grin.

"Sammy!" She giggled, remembering that last day she had with him.

Just then, Sammy began to glow. His form flickered, and for a moment Hazel could see right through him. The Latino sighed. "Time to go, I guess."

Hazel wanted to cry. "Already?"

Sammy smiled. "Hey. I'll be fine. You know where to find me."

Hazel hugged him one last time. "When we finally meet up again," she said, her voice breaking, "I'd love to hang out. Still friends?"

"Still friends," he promised. "I'll be waiting. Just…just don't come too quickly." His voice was beginning to fade.

"I'll try," she said.

"I love you." Nothing else. Just those three words made Hazel cry. She could tell he meant it. And it wasn't the '_Let's go out_' kind of I love you, either. It was the '_We're the best of friends. We have a special friendship bond no one else can have_' kind of I love you.

"I love you, too," she said back, her voice etched in sadness. "Good-bye, Sammy."

Sammy's form slipped from her grasp. He had all but faded completely.

Hazel looked up and saw him smile one last time.

"Until we meet again, Hazel Zhang…"

And he was gone.

* * *

><p>After a few minutes, Hazel had composed herself enough to face the world again. She had silently prayed a 'thank you' to her father for being kind enough to allow that brief meeting.<p>

What Sammy had done to wake her up would stay with her to her grave. It didn't ruin her love for Frank, but she figured it might be easier (and less awkward) to keep that locked away.

Hazel felt a little weak in the knees at first, so she stood up and caught her breath. Eventually, she felt her strength return and walked out of the stall.

She exited the stables and halted, tilting her head at the…interesting sight.

Tulio was sitting in the grass, tinkering with some sort of _thing_ in his hands.

Sammy Leo was rolling on the ground, laughing. He had tears in his eyes.

And Leo…

Hazel didn't know what was going on with that man.

Leo had the greatest look of discomfort Hazel had ever seen. His shirt was extremely tight around his chest, his sleeves ripping at the edge because of the strain against his biceps. The **_TEAM_** *some sort of scribble* **_LEO_** on his chest was stretched wide. His suspenders were hanging around his waist. Hazel thought it was more because he didn't need extra tightness on his shoulders. That, and he definitely wasn't going to have his pants falling down anytime soon. His pants—good gods, how they were holding up around his hips without ripping was a mystery to Hazel. For some reason, Leo wasn't wearing any shoes…

"Do I _want_ to know why you're dressed like that?" she asked, finally gaining everyone's attention.

Leo grumbled something Hazel didn't catch. Sammy Leo chuckled.

"He had a random growth spurt," her son explained. "At least he didn't throw up this time."

Hazel gave him a confused look. "What do you mean 'growth spurt'? He looks exactly the same!"

Tulio stood up and shook the dirt off his butt. Hazel noticed he was wearing a **_TEAM TULIO_** shirt. She wondered why all the Valdez boys had to be such lunatics and thanked the gods Sammy hadn't been wearing a **_TEAM SAMMY_** shirt.

"We'll explain on the way," Tulio said. "Let's go before my _Papi_ goes all 'Hulk' on his outfit."

Leo grinned. "I'm trying very hard not to do that until I see Frank."

Sammy Leo clapped his hand onto the man's back. "Didn't know you had such wide hips, though, Leo. Got some nice 'girly figure' there."

Leo glared at him. "This is mostly muscle from squatting all the time in the shop."

"Sure it is," Tulio chuckled. "It's totally that and not all the tacos and enchiladas that you stuff down all the time."

Hazel giggled. "Went straight to your hips."

Leo turned red. "Let's just go!"

He waddled away, which earned a huge laugh from all three of his companions.

As they followed the uncomfortable son of Hephaestus, Sammy Leo asked his mother, "I take it Sammy went back to Elysium?"

"Yes," she said.

"I liked him," Tulio commented. "He was really nice."

"I can see why you liked him back in the day, Mom," Sammy Leo said.

Hazel nodded. "Did your father approve?"

"Yeah, he did," her son said, smiling. "There weren't any awkward problems between them. Sammy right away broke the ice and let him know you weren't an issue."

"That's great!"

"Not to change the subject," Tulio interrupted. "But whose key do you have?"

"Key?" Hazel checked her pockets. Sure enough, she felt something long and thin in her back jeans pocket.

She pulled it out.

It was a blue key that ended in the shape of a trident. The trident itself seemed almost greenish in color, and the more Hazel looked at it, the more the color shifted. Kind of like the sea.

Tulio sighed. "Was kinda hoping it'd be Mom's key next. _Papi_'s been feeling down lately. He's gonna need my mom around soon or else there might be problems…"

Hazel remembered Leo's tie to Calypso. She knew the son of Hephaestus couldn't be too far away from his wife for very long without experiencing some sort of discomfort. At the moment, Leo seemed to be doing okay, but for how long Hazel couldn't be sure.

Sammy Leo blinked at the key. "Can I see that?"

Hazel gave her son the key. He only held it for a second before handing it to Tulio. "Guess I'm not right to rescue Percy, either," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

Tulio shrugged and handed the key back to Hazel. "It's not that important, Sammy. Let's just hope we won't need to bring back the dead to rescue Percy."

Hazel shook her head. "So, is anyone going to fill me in on what's happened since I was taken?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: And you all thought the next rescue would be Piper's! Ha! Still gotta wait on the Espie ship xD**_

_**I don't consider this as 'friend-zoning' Sammy. That seems like a harsh kind of phrase. I think he'd be okay with hanging out as a friend, honestly. He's an old man (technically) and no longer has the 'need to breed' kind of hormones now that he's dead. He knows where priorities lie now.**_

_**And no, this is not a terrible terrible secret. Everyone has that one secret they're not willing to share to anyone, even their significant other. And I don't mean a 'cheating' kind of secret! D: This wasn't cheating on Frank! Maybe one day in Elysium Hazel will tell Frank, Frank will punch Sammy in the arm, they'll get over it and hang out some more. Eternal life goes on.**_

_***legasp***_

_**Speaking of cheating, I've just had this really dark idea! Not for this story, don't worry! But for a kind of AR to this chapter. Something that involved a little more than just a kiss once Hazel woke up. *evil grin* I don't know if I'll go along with it, though. I love the idea, but it's a little twisted :P**_


	22. Lacy XXII

**_Nothing in terms of character development for Lacy, sorry. Just know she's just like her father, but can actually figure things out on her own. Perhaps a little of Athena went into her after all :3_**

**_And...PLOT! Well, moar plot than you usually get. By the end of this chapter, you'll all be like, "Oh gods! It's obviously -insert guy here-, but that's so intense and cool!"_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/Teens are mine.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXII<strong>

**LACY**

Lacy Jackson twirled a finger through her hair absent-mindedly as Esperanza tapped her foot near the bow of the ship. Icarus the dragon figurehead did a 180 and tugged at her hair.

"Icky!" Espie cried. "Don't do that!"

Icarus snorted steam into her face. Lacy didn't speak automaton, but she assumed that meant, "_Do not call me Icky."_

Lacy giggled as Espie and Icarus had a 'my flame is bigger than yours' contest.

Then she remembered her dream and stopped smiling again.

She sighed and leaned against the mast. When the group had decided all the Valdezes and Sammy Leo would be going to rescue Hazel, Lacy had gone down to her own cabin to sleep. It used to be Percy's and Lacy loved the fact that she could still see bits and pieces of her father's teenage life in the room—the occasional blue strip of paint, the Minotaur horn that had (somehow) survived through the wreckage from Zeus's slap across the world…y'know, little stuff.

Lacy wanted her father to desperately return and she had gone asleep worried for him.

That was when the dream had started.

* * *

><p><em>Lacy was standing at the base of an empty hill. A storm seemed to be brewing at the top, like a windless cloud tornado was about to touch down up there. She shuddered and made to step closer and walk up the hill, but something in the shadows caught her attention.<em>

_Lacy ducked behind a bush, not sure if she could be seen as a dream-floaty-invading-spirit-person._

_"How long?" boomed a deep voice. "I'm not feeling any different over here!"_

_"Patience, sir," whimpered a small voice. Lacy followed it and saw a tiny figure talking to an IM._

_Lacy couldn't see who the IM person was, only glowing eyes that seemed to pierce her very soul. She shivered._

_The figure in front, however, was clear as day. It was a small Telekhine. His Doberman head was bowed in respect, which made him seem smaller._

_"Most of the weight has already been released. She takes it well. Much better than—"_

_"Shut up," growled the glowing-eye-guy. "What of the progress of the Seven?"_

_The Telekhine shifted his weight. "Um…J-Janus reported Frank Zhang has been freed. He said he will help no more, since he was paid for only one show…"_

_The guy in the IM grumbled. "They move quickly, I'll give them that. And with a descendant of Hades on board that stupid ship, they'll easily get the key to Hazel Zhang. Status on that?"_

_The Telekhine brought out an iPad and started typing something up on it. Lacy figured that must have been hard to do, considering he was using flipper-paw-things._

_The monster gulped. "Oh, uh…seems she's just been freed…"_

_"Then they'll be after the irritable son of Poseidon next." The figure's teeth seemed to shine as he grinned evilly. "So attack them."_

_"But, sir," the monster protested. "The ship is too powerful. Ever since our Earth Mother died and the Hephaestus family fixed it, we cannot even go near it. It can't even be tracked!"_

_"You remember Percy Jackson's location, correct?"_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Then ambush the rescue party, idiot. Prevent the destined unlocker from reaching him! If she cannot reach her father, then we win."_

_The Telekhine bowed his head again. "Yes, sir. Fantastic idea, sir."_

_"GET MOVING!"_

_The monster squealed in terror and typed out an order on his iPad. "The ambush party will be lying in wait, sir."_

_"Excellent." The figure grunted, then sighed as if he had been placed into a hot bath. "Ah, there it is. Now I feel the effects. I don't care about world domination or all that schist. Just free me! I'm tired of this nonsense!"_

_"Soon you will be free, sir," the Telekhine said proudly. "But are you sure you don't wish to try and overthrow Olympus?"_

_"With what army?" The figure gritted his teeth. "Most of it has been reduced and is still stuck in Tartarus. The rest of you imbeciles are too afraid to try anything so soon. No, once I am free, perhaps I will at least wait a few decades. I'll build up another army, get more minor gods on my side. I'll wait for those ridiculous _heroes of Olympus_ to die off. Their brood cannot be as powerful as their heritage suggests."_

_The monster gulped. "Well, sir…perhaps…_two_ of them could, if you think about it…?"_

_The man snarled and the whole area shook. "Do not talk to me about those beasts! I refuse to acknowledge their relation to me! Their father's blood runs deep in their veins. Neither of them has what it takes to live up to me. What a waste of a pedigree."_

_Lacy felt the ground shift again. "Make sure your little ambush party doesn't disappoint me," the man growled threateningly. "If they get to the next key, I'll have your head."_

_The dream dissolved._

* * *

><p>Lacy hadn't told her mother, Mr. Grace, or Mr. Zhang about this yet. She wanted to make sure.<p>

_If they all show up with Dad's key_, Lacy thought, _then I'll make sure everyone knows. I can't keep that a secret!_

She had mulled over who their enemy could possibly be. He seemed to resent her father, Percy Jackson. When he had said the son of Poseidon's name, it was like he was spitting on the ground in disgust.

"That narrows it down," she mumbled aloud. "Dad made a lot of enemies…"

Then there was a possibility that two people could defeat this guy if he got free. Two siblings.

_Narrows it down more…Could be me and Bobby, but are we related to anything bad? Just Poseidon and Athena, and they seem to be okay with at least one of us at a time…_

She glanced over at Mr. Zhang, who was currently practice sparring with Mr. Grace. Their Roman styles were really intense compared to the Greek styles Lacy's parents had taught her.

_Sammy Leo and Augustus are brothers_, she thought. _Mars and Pluto…no, Pluto admitted he didn't mind them, and Mars obviously likes Sammy Leo. He blessed the guy to be undefeatable in battle! Then who…_

Her eyes locked onto Esperanza again. The Latina was currently juggling a few fireballs out of sheer boredom. Icarus had turned back around, clearly a sore loser of the 'my flame is bigger than yours' contest.

_Esperanza and Tulio…_

Something seemed to click inside Lacy's mind.

_On Leo's side, they have Hephaestus, who clearly loves them and their fire abilities…But on Calypso's side they've got…_

**_"Two of the Seven have dealt with this person before. And he is related to another of the Seven."_**

_It couldn't be…_

Before Lacy could think it over more, she heard Jason shout.

"Oh my gods, Leo," the son of Jupiter howled. "You look hilarious!"

Lacy turned and walked to the side of the ship. She burst out laughing at Mr. Valdez's clothes and how tiny they were on him. She had never before realized how small Leo was as a kid, but now it was oh-so-obvious how Tulio's future self would be built.

Leo waddled—yes, _waddled_—up the gangplank. He went right up to Frank.

"So, Frank," Leo began. "You had a growth spurt in Venice. My turn."

He flexed and yowled. Leo's shirt ripped completely, as did his pants—much like how the Hulk would rip his clothes, though the Hulk never lost his pants during the initial growth…

Leo immediately posed gloriously, only wearing his tool belt and pretty beautiful blue boxers. Not a hint of embarrassment was on his face as he grinned. It was like he was an Underwear/tool belt model for _Mechanics Weekly_. He was thoroughly enjoying this!

"Beat that," he said smugly.

With that, Leo picked up the remains of his clothes and headed downstairs.

Frank had the most bewildered face on. "What in Mars's name was _that_!?"

Jason blinked. "I think he just challenged you to a Hulk contest, dude."

A clear laugh rang out through the air. Frank stopped breathing and smiled as his wife Hazel came up to meet him in a hug.

Tulio and Sammy Leo followed. Lacy went up to them.

"Where's Sammy Valdez?" she asked.

"He's gone now," Tulio said. "Hazel got to say good-bye and that was about it."

"So, who's key did she have?"

Tulio brought out a green and blue key with a trident-shaped end. Lacy gulped, now knowing her dream had been real.

She grasped the key and was not surprised in the least when it floated. The words appeared a second later:

**_The love and fear of water together,_**

**_Shall save the son of the Sea from darkness forever._**

The key floated back gently into Lacy's palm. Sammy Leo had the biggest grimace on his face.

"Of _course_ it goes right back to being predictable again," the Roman grumbled. "Sure, why not!?"

Tulio shook his head and stared at Lacy. "Looks like it's your Dad's turn to be rescued, huh?"

Lacy smiled. "After all this time being the hero, now _he _ gets to be the damsel in distress!"

It seemed like everyone heard that, because now all the people on deck were laughing.

Lacy's smiled disappeared. "But…there's something you guys should know about Dad's rescue…I had a dream while Hazel was being rescued."

"What about?" Jason asked.

Lacy made a face. "Well…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Herp.**_

_**Pretty obvious who the mastermind is, huh? :P But you'll never guess WHY he's doing it :D**_

_**Well, you might, actually. I bet you anything that a certain someone WILL guess it! lol**_


	23. Lacy XXIII

**_Who is not as obvious as I thought, huh? Well, that's okay. You'll see the light :3_**

**_As for why, I'll leave you guessing. It's not a complicated 'why' either._**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/Teens are mine.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXIII<strong>

**LACY**

"Atlas."

Everyone looked at Annabeth with wide eyes. The daughter of Athena had her arms crossed, leaning back in her chair.

Currently, they were all sitting at the dining table in the mess hall, which felt kinda crowded. Well, almost all of them were. Leo was standing a little ways off (back in his overalls and a proper messy white t-shirt) fiddling with the kitchen area. He had insisted on cooking some of his famous tacos. No one was driving the ship, which apparently didn't matter since Icarus decided he wanted a turn. The key was hooked up to Icarus's control center, so when they arrived the dragon would inform them through the speakers.

"Um," Jason drawled, his stomach growling for a taco. "Care to elaborate?"

"Isn't it obvious enough?" Annabeth asked. "From what Lacy described, it seems as if he's trying to get someone to hold up the sky again. Someone female. There's only three of us left to rescue and Percy's out of the list as soon as we get to him. So that leaves Piper and Calypso."

Lacy looked at Leo, who was currently adding a few things to the tacos. He paused briefly, and for just a split second Lacy could see pain flash across his face. Then, he fixed himself. He shook his head and whistled a happy tune as he cooked.

"Piper can't possibly hold up the _sky_," Jason protested.

"You saying she's not strong enough?" Bobby asked, a twinkle in his eye.

Mark rolled his eyes. "Mom's _strong_, Bobby. Don't ever say otherwise."

"No," Annabeth said. "Piper could not hold that weight for very long. Believe me, I know."

Lacy shuddered. She had forgotten her own parents had held that burden. She hoped no one else in the present group would be forced to hold it.

"But Calypso isn't immortal anymore," Frank pointed out. "She's just as mortal as we are."

"She's still got her strength," Leo put in. "Her Titan's strength never went away."

Esperanza nodded. "She taught me and Tulio how to control our own strength when we were younger."

"She could hold up the house if she wanted," Tulio mused, not really paying attention as he tinkered with a mechanical whatsit in his hands.

"Didn't Pluto say he was related to one of the Seven?" Jason asked. "Atlas didn't have any of our parents for children and Calypso isn't one of the Seven."

"Then that rules out Atlas," Frank agreed.

"No it doesn't."

Leo placed a huge plate of tacos—tofu and regular—on the table and crossed his arms. "He's related to me. He's not a blood relative. Since he's Calypso's father, he's related to me through marriage."

Jason smacked his forehead. "Duh."

Bobby cleared his throat. "Well, we've figured out who the mastermind is. Why he's doing it can wait a bit longer. Right now we have a problem: the ambush."

Lacy nodded. "When we go rescue Dad, there's going to be some sort of ambush waiting for us."

"So we'll blast 'em before we even get off the ship," Leo said with a shrug. "Easy day."

"The ambush party will probably be underwater," Sammy Leo noted. "I'm guessing Percy's going to be underwater and the ship will be unable to fire anything down there, much less see anything."

Tulio grumbled, "It's a ship, not a sub. Be thankful it _flies_."

Sammy Leo held up his arms in surrender. "I wasn't complaining. This ship is awesome! I was merely pointing out that we're probably not going to be able to help the rescue party with the ship if the ambush is submerged…"

He had a point, much to Lacy's dismay. "Then we're going to have to fight underwater. Obviously, I need to go."

"I'll go," Frank volunteered. "I can turn into a shark or an octopus to help."

No one else spoke up.

Lacy sighed. "Okay, that's two. Now we need the third. _'Love and fear of water together.'_ So, who's afraid of water?"

Immediately, someone whimpered, "Three in a row…I hate this…"

All eyes locked on to Tulio, who seemed to shrink in his chair. "Seriously. Why do _I_ have to go on three rescues in a row?"

"_You're_ afraid of water?" Mark asked incredulously. "You must be joking!"

Tulio shrank even more. "When we were kids…Mom made _Papi_ take us to the beach in Florida. She was still pregnant with Aria back then, but we went anyway."

"Oh yeah," Leo mused. "The Jacksons came, too, didn't they?"

"Yes we did," Lacy said with a smirk. "And me and Bobby buried you in the sand."

Leo grimaced. "You left me there."

Bobby snickered.

"Anyway," Tulio said. "Espie and I were playing in the ocean with Percy while Mom and Annabeth sat on the beach. We were pretty far out. Percy thought it would be fun to dunk me and Espie underwater. He placed a little air bubble around us. It was just for us to see what it was like under the sea."

"Oh yeah, that was fun," Espie said with a smile. "I saw a bunch of starfish and kept calling them Patrick."

Tulio grumbled. "I freaked out. Percy didn't give me _any_ warning and just dunked me! The free-floating and the initial darkness of the water…like it swallowed me…" The demititan shivered. "I panicked and thrashed."

"Oh, I remember now," Annabeth said. "You were suddenly running up the beach, crying. Percy and Espie came after you. I smacked Percy to the next Tuesday when I found out he dunked you like that."

Tulio smirked, but it fell. "Yeah, well, the experience really scared me…Ever since then, I can't go near deep water. Shallows on the beach are fine, and if I'm on a ship, that's okay too. But swimming in the deep end of the pool or going out into deep water…" he shook violently. "I…I just _can't_."

Espie took his hand. "Aw, Tulio…"

Leo scratched his head. "You never told me you were afraid of deep water."

"I never told anyone," Tulio said in a small voice. "Mostly because the subject of swimming never came up around me. If it did, I would politely refuse to go."

Lacy blinked. She had always loved the water. Being Poseidon's favorite grandchild, she went to the water as much as possible. Her father always helped her with her powers, making sure she'd never feel afraid.

She really couldn't understand how someone could be afraid of water, but she let it go. _Everyone's afraid of something_, she mused in her head. _Mark's afraid of heights. Sammy's afraid of the dark. Bobby hates spiders. I hate clowns. I guess _somebody_ had to be afraid of water…Poor Tulio._

Frank reached across the table and patted Tulio on the shoulder. "You'll be fine. Lacy and I will be with you the whole way."

"I can't breathe underwater," Tulio said flatly. "I won't be much help if I drown."

Frank smiled. "I have an idea on how you can keep up with us." He looked at Leo. "Remember those fish-horse guys back in the Atlantic?"

Leo cocked an eyebrow and smiled. "Yeah. Those brownies were delicious."

"I want a brownie," Jason complained.

"Remember how you, me, and Hazel stayed down there?"

Leo's eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh yeah! That was a weird feeling, but I think that might work!"

Lacy cocked her head. "What might work?"

Frank grinned. "Getting Tulio to breathe underwater shouldn't be a problem."

* * *

><p>A couple hours later, after practicing what Frank had suggested on Bobby with the tub water, Lacy heard Icarus click and whir on the intercom. Leo then shouted though the corridors, "We've arrived! All hands on deck!"<p>

Lacy rushed upstairs. She went right to the rail and looked down. Annabeth was right behind her. Despite the danger Percy could be in, both Jackson girls smiled. Bobby, who was suddenly next to them, grinned, looking just like his father.

Annabeth chuckled. "It would be here. Percy never shuts up about with jokes when Thalia comes over."

"I love them," Lacy said. "So, after we rescue Dad…I could go for some dam food."

Annabeth laughed. "As long as you get rid of the dam monsters first."

"It's a dam ambush," Bobby said.

"For a dam rescue," their mother finished.

Lacy snickered, looking below once again. She stared at the Hoover Dam with fierce intensity. Somewhere down there, her father was waiting. And so was an ambush of monsters.

_Don't worry, Dad,_ she thought._ We're coming to rescue you._

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Those dam jokes...so bad, yet I can't help but smile.**_

_**As for Tulio's story about the beach...I think I may write that. I actually already drew a picture of the twins and preggers Calypso at the beach a while back (on my Deviantart, winkekita, if you're interested) so that idea for a story has been floating around my head for a while.**_

_**This story has turned out to be more about the Valdez family than anything, hasn't it? That's okay, though. Cause I'm biased towards them anyway. Deal with it.**_


	24. Lacy XXIV

**_Sorry for the lateness. I hate writing action and The Imp Within kinda distracted._**

**_So, shameless plug: wanna see angsty/monster Leo? Go read The Imp Within :D_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXIV<strong>

**LACY**

"Okay, Tulio," Lacy said, holding the demititan's hands. "Deep breath. Don't hold it. Let it out."

Tulio looked ready to hyperventilate. Lacy shook her head. _He's afraid of so many things…crowds, deep water…_

The legacy of Hephaestus sucked in a deep breath. He shakily exhaled.

"Calm down," Lacy urged. "I can't do this if you freak out."

"Easy for you to say," Tulio mumbled.

Frank was already in Lake Mead. He had given the all-clear already, though that was just from quickly scanning the surface. He hadn't explored the lower water levels or closer to the dam itself.

Lacy slapped the back of his head. "Focus, dummy."

Tulio kept breathing deeply.

Lacy commended him. At least he was facing his fears. That was more than anyone ever expected out of the Latino for this trip.

Lacy grabbed Tulio's arm. She looked back and grinned at the rest of the crew.

"See you later!"

She dived off the ship, dragging Tulio with her. Tulio yelled, "I wasn't ready!"

They hit the water within seconds. Lacy put a form-fitting air bubble around Tulio, who had begun to thrash.

"Be still," she scolded. "Or the bubble might leak."

Tulio froze. He was turning blue.

"And you can still breathe, stupid."

Tulio huffed in and out. He looked flustered. "I can't swim very well," he admitted. "Wait, how am I talking?"

Lacy rolled her eyes. "It's a self-replenishing air pocket. You can travel like I can underwater—by swimming—or you can run. And don't ask how you can talk. Just don't question these things."

_"Can we please get a move-on?"_

Lacy turned and saw a hammerhead shark swimming around them. Frank.

"Neat," Lacy commented. "How does it feel to have your eyes so far apart? I've always wanted to know!"

"Me too," Tulio said, grinning.

Frank growled, bubbles rising out of his shark mouth. _"Let's just go find Percy."_

He turned and headed towards the dam. The light was fading, so the shadow cast by the dam in the water was enormous and dark. Frank went ten feet and Lacy already couldn't see him.

"Slow down, Mr. Zhang," she said. "I can't see you!"

Tulio ran next to her—don't ask Lacy how he was running underwater, she was pretty sure even _he_ didn't know. "Perhaps I can help?"

He suddenly glowed orange, illuminating the shadows within about a twenty-foot radius. Lacy yelped. "No, Tulio! You can't have fire within the air bubble! It'll burn up your oxygen!"

Tulio just looked at her like she was an alien. Finally, he said, "Uh…I can't create fire. Only heat."

_"Uh-oh."_

Lacy turned to see shark Frank paused about ten feet away. He was looking down—which must have been hard as a hammerhead.

Lacy followed his gaze.

"Oh…" she said. "Fantastic."

About five serpents writhed around below them, lying in wait like snakes in a pit. Nearly fifty Telekhines swam around nearby, too. Each of the dog-mermaids (cause, y'know, that's what they are) were brandishing a hammer or a sword of some sort.

"Lacy, look," Tulio pointed downwards.

"Yeah, I see the monsters."

"No, below them. On the dam."

Lacy squinted and saw a blurb-kinda-shape-thing on the dam below the ambush. "What is that?"

Tulio grinned. "I think it's Percy."

_"I see him,"_ Frank said. _"It's Jackson alright. He doesn't look hurt, but who knows how long that might last with all these monsters."_

Lacy popped her knuckles. "Well then, we'd better get started."

Tulio shifted beside her. "I'm not much of a fighter," he complained.

_"Lacy," _Frank said. _"You and I will battle with the bozos. Once there's an opening, Tulio can get down there. Percy's got an extra set of chains tying him to the dam. Tulio can melt them off with his heat, then you can quickly unlock your father. Then all Hades will break loose."_

Lacy relayed the plan to Tulio, who nodded.

"Okay, then let's get this party started!" Lacy pulled out her sword and led the charge.

* * *

><p>The first ten minutes of fighting were actually kinda fun. Lacy was Poseidon's granddaughter through and through, and this was <em>her<em> domain. She went right for the biggest, baddest serpent and sliced its head clean off before the others had time to react.

"Who wants some more?" She yowled in the water.

The other four serpents hissed and went for her.

Through the corner of her eye, she saw a giant squid take hold of a lot of Telekhines. They squealed in terror as Frank slammed them into the side of the dam. The dam held, thank goodness, but the monsters didn't.

Below the whole fight, still providing light, Tulio was grabbing Percy's extra chains and trying to melt them. The water around Tulio bubbled and heated as it began to boil. Lacy slashed another serpent, smiling as Tulio kicked away a stray Telekhine.

"Got it!" Tulio exclaimed. The water had reached a serious boil, but Percy seemed okay. He still had the original chains, but still…okay.

Lacy struck the final serpent down and swam over. She took out her key and unlocked her father.

The trident-shaped lock seeped into Percy's chest and the chains disappeared. He opened his eyes and blinked in confusion.

"Lacy?" he asked as if he hadn't noticed he was underwater. He looked at Tulio, who was still glowing. "Tulio? What's with the nightlight action?"

A few Telekhines yowled and all three of them turned to see a great white shark chasing them. Apparently a giant squid was too boring for Frank…

Percy took his Riptide out of his pocket and swam to Frank's side. He immediately got rid of all the fleeing Telekhines. It took probably a grand total of ten seconds.

Lacy huffed in annoyance. "Dang. Dad gets all the dam fun."

Tulio smirked and moved with Lacy to meet up with the adults. Percy high fived/high-finned Frank as they arrived.

"Yeah!" Percy exclaimed. "We still got it!"

Then he looked around. "Where are we, anyway?"

Lacy heard Frank cough—weird sound coming from a shark._ "We're at the Hoover Dam."_

"No foolin'?" Percy grinned like a lunatic. "All right! I'm hungry! I could go for a dam burger!"

Frank groaned. _"Please stop with the dam jokes…"_

"Well!" Percy waggled his eyebrows. "I guess you're not a dam fan!"

Lacy laughed and Tulio hid his smirk as Frank snorted bubbles into Percy's face and swam up to the surface.

Percy turned to the teens. "Seriously, though…I'm hungry. Can we at least go for a dam snack?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: *sigh* I promise. No more dam jokes...**_

_**:)**_


	25. Mark XXV

**_Holy Hephaestus this chapter gave me trouble. It's so awkward and repetitive and...ugh..._**

**_I didn't like this chapter, but I hope you guys do. I'll get another one up shortly._**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXV<strong>

**MARK**

Mark studied Sammy Leo from the bow of the ship. The Roman was currently talking about battle strategies with Frank. Mark felt like this whole thing was just another bullet on Sammy's brag sheet, bringing him closer to becoming praetor.

He grunted. _What's so special about him anyway?_ he thought. _A stuck-up Roman who can punch really hard? Ooh, so athletic! What's Espie see in the guy?_

When did everything turn into a 'let's hate Sammy Leo' party? Mark used to be good friends with him. They used to hang out all the time. They'd been childhood friends forever!

But then Espie up and got suddenly cute, and all of a sudden Mark Grace and Sammy Leo Zhang were worst enemies.

It wasn't like they were openly fighting for her. Sammy hadn't once brought it up, but it was quite obvious he had a thing for Esperanza Valdez. As a descendant of Aphrodite, Mark could tell the Roman felt that way, and before he was sort of rooting for him and Espie to be a thing.

But now Mark couldn't explain how butterflies were flittering in his stomach every time Espie walked by. The only thing he could think of was that he, too, was feeling something for the demititan.

It made him angry. He didn't know who to be angry at; Espie for being so awesome and cute, Sammy for going after her, or himself for falling for her. Nothing was making sense to him.

He rubbed his head.

"Yo."

Mark lifted his gaze. His father was standing before him, his sword out.

"Wanna spar?" he asked, a smile playing on his lips.

Mark nodded. A quick spar would clear his head. Jason didn't hold back, so Mark would have to keep on his toes and pay attention to just the battle.

Mark drew his Celestial Bronze blade, which had been sheathed at his belt. "Sure."

Bronze met gold as he and Jason clashed. Jason smiled when the sparks flew. "You've been practicing."

"Didn't expect me to take after Grandma, did you?" Mark retorted. He jumped away for a second before throwing himself back again.

Their blades met again and again. The winds began picking up. Mark knew what that meant. Jason was about to manipulate the winds, mostly to off-balance Mark.

The legacy concentrated, keeping the winds at bay as best he could. If he let up for an instant, his father would throw him a mile into the sky.

"So," Jason drawled. "You look like you need to talk."

Mark hated it when his father did this. He wasn't the best at multi-tasking, and keeping the winds at bay _plus_ sparring with Jason was hard enough. Now the son of Jupiter wanted to _talk_?

"No," Mark growled.

"Come on," said Jason, whose strikes were getting faster. "You obviously are in a bad mood. That means you're not getting what you want. Tell me what you want or throw your tantrum now and be done with it."

"I don't throw tantrums," Mark complained.

Jason grinned. "Your grandpa McLean spoiled you too much as a baby. You do throw tantrums. Big ones."

"Don't bring grandpa into this. This isn't his area of expertise."

"Not something valuable, then?"

"What? No." Mark felt his body lift slightly. He fixed himself and landed lightly before blocking another strike. "Stop it, Dad. This doesn't concern you either."

Jason struck even faster, his grin getting bigger. "A girl, then?"

And just like that, Mark was flung straight back. The winds threw him at the exact moment the legacy hesitated. He hit Icarus so hard he saw stars.

Jason grabbed him and helped him up. "Hit it right on the mark, huh?"

Mark groaned and rubbed his head. "Shut up, Dad."

Jason slapped him on the back. "Are you in a bad mood because a girl couldn't come with you on this quest?"

"No," Mark said. "I didn't ask you for advice."

"You're getting it. Now…a girl present on the quest, huh?"

Mark stared at his father. "Can you stop?"

Jason grinned. "Narrows it down to two. Lacy?"

Mark stayed silent and stared at his feet.

"Oh, Espie."

Mark couldn't believe how fast his father had deduced the situation. He wished Jason was more on the dense side, like Mr. Jackson.

"How—?"

"Being married to a daughter of Aphrodite makes me aware of these things," Jason said. "And being married to Piper McLean makes me need to pay attention to the little things; like how my son behaves."

Mark rolled his eyes.

Jason braced his shoulders. "Son," he began. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"I'd rather wait for Mom," Mark said. "No offense to you, Dad; it's just that this is kinda an Aphrodite thing…"

Jason shrugged. "Whatever. But just know that if you need help, I'm here for you, too. Aphrodite children aren't the only ones who can understand love hardships."

"How could you help?" Mark challenged.

"I helped Nico, didn't I?"

Mark had forgotten about Mr. di Angelo. As a teen he had had difficulty dealing with his homosexuality. Unwillingly, he had confessed to Jason about it and Mark's father actually helped him. Not as much as Mr. Solace did in the end, but it was enough to get the ball rolling, so to speak.

"That's different, though," Mark protested. "He was having trouble with his sexuality. You kept it a secret. My…my problem isn't so…secretive."

His gaze wandered over to Sammy Leo again, who was still talking to Frank.

Jason followed his gaze. He cocked an eyebrow. "Ah," he deduced. "Not _just_ a matter of confessing, huh? You got a rival."

Mark grumbled. "Stop it, Dad. Mom taught you too well."

Jason smiled. "It helps to be not as dense as Percy in this aspect. Gods help that man when _Bobby_ starts having girl trouble."

He looked back at the Zhang boys and nodded to himself. "Okay," he said. "I think I know who can help you with this rival business."

"You do?"

Jason nodded. "You know, I noticed a few things happening on the _Argo II_ back on the first quest. Things circulating around a certain trio."

Mark gave him a questioning look.

"Believe it or not," the son of Jupiter said, "Frank and Hazel had a bit of a bumpy start. Can you guess who made the bumps?"

The legacy shook his head. He had never heard anything about the Zhangs having relationship trouble. He'd always assumed they'd loved each other since the beginning, just like the Jacksons (when they started dating, that is) and his own parents.

"Leo did."

If Mark had been drinking anything, he would have spit it out. "Mr. Valdez? But, didn't he like Calypso?"

"After Malta there wasn't a problem between those three," Jason answered. "But before that, Piper and I had noticed how Leo and Hazel acted towards each other, and how Frank was starting to react. When the quest first started, having those three alone together might have made things difficult."

"But Mr. Zhang and Mr. Valdez are, like, the best of friends."

"Yeah, _now_. Once Calypso came into the picture, Leo no longer saw Hazel as a love interest. But before that, it would get pretty awkward."

Mark blinked. He'd never once considered that Frank might have had a rival for Hazel—nor did he consider that rival was _Leo_ of all people!

"So you said someone could help me with this rival business," Mark drawled. "Who?"

Jason turned his head. "Yo, Frank! C'mere a sec?"

Frank blinked in surprise, but came over. Sammy cocked an eyebrow, but then shrugged and walked toward the control center, where Leo was crouched, working on some sort of doohickey.

Mark tried not to whimper as the tall Asian stepped near him. He was way taller than Mark, and it was really awkward talking to him sometimes.

"Really, Dad?" he said. "_Frank_ could help?"

Jason slapped him on the back playfully. "I think so. It's either that or Leo."

Point taken. Leo didn't really seem like the type of guy to give proper love advice…

"What can I help with?" Frank asked.

"Mark here needs some love advice," Jason explained. "He's got himself a rival for a girl and doesn't know how to handle it, since both of them haven't confessed yet."

Frank nodded. He looked down at Mark with a gentle gaze. "Why don't we sit and talk? Start at the beginning, and I'll try to help you."

Mark nodded and took a deep breath as they sat down. Jason walked away to give the two space.

"It's a little bit awkward," he said.

"Love makes things awkward," Frank said with a shrug. "You should know that, since you're related to Aphrodite herself."

Mark smiled. "It's awkward because my rival is Sammy Leo."

Frank smiled. "For Espie? I should have known."

"How'd you—?"

"Sam's been fawning over her for a while now. But, he's just like me; he's nervous about even going near her and asking her out."

Mark should have known Sammy's hesitating nature ran in the family.

"Can you…" Mark paused. "Can you help me with this whole 'rival' business? I don't want to lose Sammy because we're fighting over Espie."

Mr. Zhang nodded. "I can try."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Next up is a Sammy Leo chapter. While Mark talks to Frank about rivals, guess who tries to comfort Sammy...:D**_


	26. Sammy Leo XXVI

**_Another chapter today! Yay!_**

**_This is to make up for the long wait while I slapped all my followers with the Imp Within (which is now finished :3)_**

**_I originally had it where Percy's group wasn't back yet, but then I realized Frank was a part of that group xD D'oh! So, just know Percy, Lacy, and the rest of the gang you don't see are downstairs..._**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXVI<strong>

**SAMMY LEO**

Sammy Leo shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. His father was currently talking to Mark about something, and he had a feeling it was about Espie.

"Something on your mind, kid?"

Sammy jumped a little. He looked down at Leo, who was sitting Indian-style trying to fix some sort of doodad in his hands.

The son of Hephaestus looked up at him with questioning eyes. "Don't normally see you up here," he noted. "Except maybe when Tulio's here."

"Sorry," Sammy said. "I'll leave if I'm bothering you."

"Nah." Leo put down the thing and patted the ground next to him. "Why don't you sit? It's pretty comfy down here."

Sammy shrugged and sat down.

"So," Leo drawled. He twirled a few pipe cleaners in his hands absentmindedly. "What's going on with you and Mark? You guys havin' some sort of fight?"

Sammy lowered his head. "Something like that, yeah."

Leo studied him with an intense gaze. "So, what is it you're fighting over? A girl?"

The Roman gulped and shrank. "Yes…"

Leo gave a crocodile grin. "Details, man! Who's the lady that's getting fought over? I wanna make bets!"

"Um…" _Oh, boy. How to say this without Leo killing me?_ "We're kinda fighting over…Espie…?"

Leo's grin disappeared. "Pardon?"

Sammy shivered. "We both like your daughter, sir. But…neither of us has confessed and we've gotten pretty…hostile towards each other about it."

Leo straightened up. He glanced over at Mark and Frank, who were also huddled together now.

He sighed and scratched his head. "Fantastic," he mumbled. "I knew the day would come…"

_The day he kills me for liking Espie in that way?_ "What…day?" Sammy asked nervously.

Leo had a faraway look in his eyes. "It's not today," he said. "But it's gotten closer…"

He looked right at the Roman with sad eyes. "The day my little girl has to leave me…it's coming soon…"

Sammy blinked at the adult. "Um…You mean…you're not mad at me or Mark for liking her?"

Leo's eyes hardened. "Oh, I'm mad," he said. "And just know that whichever one of you actually settles down with her is gonna get a serious 'over-protective-dad-cleaning-his-rifle' talk."

Sammy shivered. "I'll, uh, keep that in mind…sir."

Leo smiled. He leaned forward and gripped Sammy on the shoulder. "Don't let me stop you from going after her, though. Espie deserves a nice guy who can take care of himself—and also her, though she'll never admit it. Just don't elope. I'll hunt you down and kill you myself if you do that."

"Duly noted," Sammy said, nodded. "But right now…" He glanced over at Mark, unpleasant loathing boiling in his stomach. "Right now Mark and I are silently fighting over Espie, and she doesn't even know."

"So tell her you like her," Leo said, his attention back on the pipe cleaner thing in his hand.

"It's just," Sammy muttered. "I really like her…and every time I think about her, I get butterflies in my stomach."

"Sounds like me when I think of a nacho and taco combo with hot sauce and a cherry on top."

Sammy smiled. Then it dropped again. "But every time I go up to her to tell her how I feel…I choke…"

He buried his face in his hands. "I can face down giant monsters, rogue legionnaires, and angry gods; but when I go near Espie I feel like the world goes upside down and I can't get a good grip on reality!"

He had no idea why he was telling Mr. Valdez this. It technically wasn't his business…

A warm hand gripped Sammy's shoulder again. He looked up at Leo's smiling face.

"It's hard being a guy, isn't it?" he asked.

Sammy nodded.

"Love is hard," Leo said. "Aphrodite never likes making it easy. If it was easy, I probably would have stayed with Calypso on that island when I first landed and the world would have sorted itself out without me."

The Roman smiled. "I guess so…but what do I do? Me and Mark…we both want Espie and eventually she's gonna need to make a choice, right?"

Leo nodded. "Of course. But that's her decision in the end. You want my advice? Don't go up to her with Mark in tow and demand for her to choose right then and there. She's not good with that kind of confrontation."

Sammy agreed. "I know…but when should I do it?"

"How about now?"

Leo motioned to where a group of people were coming up the stairs from below deck: Hazel, Percy, Annabeth, Bobby, Lacy, and…Espie!

Sammy shot to his feet, as did Mark. Frank and Leo got up more slowly. Sammy heard Leo complain, "Argh, my knees…I'm not even 40 yet and already they're startin' to give…"

Sammy ran down from the control center to try and get to Espie. Apparently Mark had the same idea.

"I need to talk to you," they both said at the same time.

Esperanza looked taken aback. "Okay…but can't it wait? We all tried the key Percy had, but it didn't work. It's gotta be one of you."

Percy held out a beautiful white key topped with a ruby heart. Obviously it was Piper's key.

Mark's hand shot for it. "Mom's key!"

At the same moment, Sammy was thinking, _Piper's key! Daughter of love! Please let it be me that activates it!_

They both grabbed one end of the key at the exact same second. The white key shot into the air and hovered over Espie. Words began to appear:

**_The fierce and brave Daughter of Doves,_**

**_Can be found and saved by Flame's true love._**

The key floated down and hit the deck with a _ka-chink_. It glowed white hot and began spinning like an out of control compass, never slowing or stopping.

All eyes locked onto Espie, who looked like she was about to pee her pants.

Mark stepped forward. "Espie…I know this is awkward, but now's the time: which one of us do you like more—me or Sammy Leo?"

She looked absolutely horrified. Sammy didn't blame her. He felt a tightness in his gut and lowered his gaze.

Espie ran away from the group and went below deck again, sniffling.

Leo walked up behind Sammy and slapped him upside the head.

"That," he said, "was exactly what I told you _not_ to do."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: You didn't think I'd make it that easy, did you?**_

_**And look, Leo actually is pretty good at this love business!**_


	27. Leo XXVII

**_Pfft, this chapter xD OH LAWDY this chapter makes me smile! I can't wait to see how you peeps react!_**

**_I've had this idea for a while. I wanted to put it in the Aphrodite Discovery, but I think here is just as great. This chapter doesn't really do much for the plot, but fillers are always fun to write!_**

**_You guys are either gonna hate me or love me for this._**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXVII<strong>

**LEO**

Leo stood outside his old room—Espie's room. He could hear his daughter silently sobbing inside, which broke his heart.

He was currently contemplating telling her one of his own secrets—one that might distract her from the boys for a few minutes. This secret was one that only Calypso knew of, and one he was hoping he would take to his grave.

A louder sob came from inside, and Leo sighed. _It can't be helped,_ he thought. _This might be the only thing to make her stop crying…_

He knocked on the door.

"Go away," came Espie's sad voice.

Leo rolled his eyes and opened the door slowly. He poked his head in with great caution, fearing Espie might throw something at him.

As luck would have it, she didn't. Espie was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest. Her face was buried in her legs and her form shook as she tried to quiet her sobbing even more.

Leo closed the door and locked it. He didn't want _anyone_ coming in and hearing this.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked around the room. Instead of having gadgets and blueprints strung up and thrown around the place, the walls were decorated with doodles, pictures, and paintings—most of which were drawn by Esperanza's own hand. Leo noticed that a few of the drawings were of Sammy Leo and Mark, drawn from memory, most likely.

"I like what you've done with the place," he noted. "Very artistic."

Espie didn't say anything.

Leo sighed. "Boys are…complicated creatures, Espie," he said. "We don't know how to deal with our feelings very well…at least not until we've gotten into a relationship."

"Hmph," she huffed between her knees.

_Here goes nothing..._ Leo ran a hand through his curls. "Espie…_Papi_'s about to tell you something that is really personal. I don't know if it'll help with your current situation, but I hope it makes you stop crying."

She looked up, tears still running down her cheek. She was interested.

"Okay," he began. "So, you know how some people say me and Frank had a bit of a problem concerning who Hazel liked?"

"Yeah," she muttered. "Hazel said you two were rivals for her until Mom came in."

Leo sighed loudly. "Well…that's not exactly true. You gotta understand that no one except your mother knows of what I'm about to tell you. So, if I tell you, will you stop crying and try and figure this Sammy/Mark love thing?"

Espie nodded.

"Alright. You know how I had a tendency to fall for unattainable creatures as a teen…Khione, Thalia, your mother…"

Espie smiled.

"Well, there was one other thing I've never told anyone. Before your mom, I had had a crush…on…well…"

"Hazel?" Espie asked.

"Yes and no," he said. "More like…Hazel and…" his voice was barely a whisper when he finally said, "…Frank…"

Espie's jaw dropped. "You had a crush on _both of them_!?"

"SHH," Leo shushed. "Not so loud!"

His daughter was completely flabbergasted. "You mean to tell me…you're _bi_? As in, you…"

"I go either way," Leo finished. "Yup. That's me; Leo Valdez, husband of the former Titan Calypso, bisexual son of Hephaestus."

"I…" Espie looked like a fish, her mouth opening and closing. "I can't even…"

Leo smiled. "When I was your age, my feelings became clear as soon as me, Hazel, and Frank met. It was hard for me to accept, and I _definitely_ didn't want anyone finding out at the time. The awkwardness between me, Hazel, and Frank would just spiral out of control. Gaea was reawakening, so no one needed this extra baggage but me."

"But Mom—"

"She knows." Leo grinned. "Before we married, she caught me starin' at a guy with a nice…uh…a nice butt. She's known ever since, and she can deal with it. I think her exact words were 'It's nice to have someone to gossip with when a cute guy walks into a room'."

Espie giggled. "So, you still like guys?"

"Yup." Leo grinned. "I like girls more, obviously, but every once in a while I tend to let my thoughts wander towards the gay side. Nothing wrong with that at all."

"No, no," Espie said. "I just…never thought _you_ would…so, wait! You mean, when you were my age, you dreamed about being in a _threesome_!?"

"And I don't deny it," Leo said, tugging on his overalls suspenders. "Of course, back then, I just wanted to not be alone. I kind of wanted Frank and Hazel to accept me as I was and cuddle with them. Nothing dirty, just _together_."

Espie smiled sweetly. "You're a cuddle bug? I'd never have guessed, _Papi_."

Leo scratched his neck. "Your mother uses the same term."

He side-hugged the demititan. "So, yeah. Your old man goes both ways. No matter what kind of difficulty you've got going on now, just know that I had it pretty rough, too. We Valdezes are kinda known for our love problems…but we figure out our true path in the end."

Espie hugged him back. "Thanks,_ Papi_. Actually, I think that really helped. I don't feel quite so pressured now…And I won't tell anyone about you being bi."

Leo shrugged. "I've kept it hidden so long, it's best no one gets bothered by it. But, it did help?"

"Absolutely," she said. "And I think you gave me an idea. You didn't talk about your feelings for Mr. and Mrs. Zhang; if Mom hadn't come into the picture that might have turned out bad. So, I think I'm gonna go talk to Mark and Sammy before something bad happens."

"Together?"

"Separately. I wanna know why they like me, what they're like, if I like them…I want to find out which one is better for me in the end."

Leo nodded. "Good idea. I'll talk to everyone else and make sure you guys get some alone time."

Espie hugged him again. "Thanks,_ Papi_. For sharing your teenage love problems, and for helping me with mine."

Leo kissed her on the forehead. "You're welcome, _mi hija_."

Espie blushed. "So…um…since Mom's not here and I now know you like guys, too…which one do you think is hotter?"

Leo grinned and ruffled her hair. "That's cheating. But, I will say this: Sammy's got his mother's sweetness—and his father's charm and muscles. I may be a little biased towards him, since he's the son of the couple I used to crush hard on."

"And Mark?"

"He's a nice fellow with some amazing good looks. That Aphrodite gene definitely works for him, not to mention he's got Jason's attitude," Leo remarked. "Both of them are equally hot, sweetie. But don't let me ruin your choice. Go talk to them and get to know them even more. Remember: It's your decision in the end. Don't base it off their looks alone."

"I won't," she promised.

Espie rose and walked towards the door. Before she opened it, she stole a glance back at Leo.

"Thanks again," she said softly.

When she left, Leo sighed. He smiled to himself and whispered, "Anytime."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Before HoH came out, I was 99% convinced that Leo was gonna end up being bisexual. I was kind of hoping that was where Rick was sending him, but then Caleo happened. So, I still think he's bi, but bends more towards girls anyway.**_

_**If some of you don't like that, well, pretend this never happened. Just know the talks with Sammy and Mark were inspired by Leo's talk with Espie.**_

_**I feel like writing a soft and fuzzy Frazeleo (my OT3) fic now... :3 Nothing kinky, just fluffy and cuddly.**_


	28. Esperanza XXVIII

**_Surprised you all with that last chapter, didn't I? x3 I regret nothing._**

**_For those of you who didn't really agree, just know that I slipped that in there so people could know how I felt about his sexuality. It won't have anything to do with the rest of this story beyond perhaps an inside joke between father and daughter or just a mentions._**

**_Anyway._**

**_This is a Mark-Espie bonding chapter. I'm a little tired, so pardon if the ending's a little iffy. This chapter's for all you Espark shippers!_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXVIII<strong>

**ESPERANZA**

Espie tried Mark first.

After her talk with her father, the demititan figured talking with each of her suitors individually would be the best course of action.

She would keep the secret Leo told her. He didn't seem to want to share it after so long of keeping it a secret.

She would, however, bring it up to her mother later. It was great dirt, and at least now she could talk 'boy troubles' with her _Papi_.

Weird thought, but she learned to roll with it.

She tried going to Mark's room, but he wasn't in there.

Next place to check was the engine room. Tulio was asleep in there, curled up next to the whirring engine with tools still in his hand. He had probably worked himself to exhaustion.

_He's as bad as _Papi_._

Espie placed a blanket over her twin, took the tools out of his hands, and kissed him on the forehead. "Dummy," she muttered.

She left and headed for the mess hall. When she came within earshot, she heard muttering.

She peeked into the doorway and quietly giggled.

Mark was slumped against the table, drowning in vanilla ice cream. It was all over his face—his depressed and horribly dramatic face. His wallowing expression was coupled with sad words:

"I'm such an idiot," he mumbled, taking another bite of ice cream. The tub from which it came was enormous, almost as big as Frank's head—which was saying something. "A complete idiot!"

He flailed about dramatically, in a way that greatly resembled Leo when he was being over-dramatic. "I completely ruined my chance at a girl! I'm so stupid! Why did I have to be so forceful about it!? Stupid Jupiter genes! Stupid Aphrodite genes!"

He stuffed his face into the ice cream tub. He cried out. It echoed, so Espie had to assume he'd already drained it.

_Where did he even put it all?_ Espie stepped into the room and coughed.

Mark shot up, his eyes bulging.

Espie giggled. "And I thought girls only did the depressed-eating thing. You take it to a whole new level!"

Mark straightened up and tried to act cool. It wasn't really working, since most of his face and hair was still covered in vanilla ice cream. "Espie," he squeaked. He coughed and retried. "Espie. I, uh…I didn't…how long were you standing there?"

"Not very long," Espie said. She grabbed a towel from one of the cabinets, walked over to the legacy of Jupiter, and started cleaning his face. "Just long enough to see you embrace your inner Aphrodite."

Mark blushed. "Um…right…Listen, Espie. I'm really sorry for what I said earlier."

Espie smiled. "Water under the bridge. I understand you two need an answer. But, truthfully, I don't know which one of you I like more. So, I'm here to talk."

"Talk?"

"Yes." Espie sat a little bit away now that Mark's face was clean. "I want to know why you and Sammy like me so much. I want to hear it from _you_. So tell me; why do you want to be closer and date me?"

Mark lowered his gaze. A deep blush had taken over his tan cheeks. "Wow…um…"

"Too personal?" Espie asked.

"No, just…a straightforward question. It surprised me." Mark scratched his head. "I was kinda picturing this whole 'I romantically convince you after you shun both me and Sammy thing' in my head."

"Was that before or after you drained the ship of vanilla ice cream?"

"Um."

Espie giggled. "Never mind. Go on, then. _Romantically convince_ me."

Mark smirked a little. Then, he straightened up and puffed out his chest. "Esperanza Valdez," he began, trying to sound manly, even though his fourteen-year-old voice hadn't quite matured to that level yet. "I really, really, _really_ like you."

"Noted," she said with a smile. "Please continue. What do you like about me?"

Mark blushed hard. "Um, well…" he placed a finger to his chin. "You're pretty. And smart. And…you rock at what you do."

"And what do I do?" she asked.

"The whole fire thing," he said. "You know, you're all like 'pew pew' with the fire." He made gun gestures, like he was shooting an enemy. "You're really freakin' powerful, y'know?"

Espie scrunched up her eyebrows. "So you like me because of my power?"

Mark's eyes widened. "No, not just that! Do you remember when you came to comfort me before we rescued Dad?"

She nodded.

"Well," Mark said, not making eye contact. "That was the thing that made me really like you. You're sensitive and sweet. You know how to comfort people, and, though I suppose that comes from comforting your brother all the time, I really think that's one of your greatest qualities."

Espie blushed. "Wow," she breathed. "You mean that?"

"Every word."

Espie took a deep breath. She met Mark's ever-shifting blue eyes. Blue was her favorite color. She didn't love it as much as Percy, but it was still her favorite.

Mark's eyes sparkled. His youthful gaze was hopeful. Espie smiled sweetly at him, but inside she still felt unsure. It was like something was holding her back. Maybe once she talked with Sammy, she'd understand what it was, or if that feeling was holding her back from both of them.

"Okay then," she said. "I'm going to go talk to Sammy Leo. When I'm done with him, I'll see about giving you guys an answer. Okay?"

Mark looked a little crestfallen. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No!" Espie held her hands up in surrender. "It's just I at least owe Sammy a personal talk, too."

She hugged the legacy of Jupiter. "I like you, too, Mark. But I need to you to promise me: if I choose Sammy Leo—not saying I will, just hypothetically—I want you to still be friends with both of us."

Mark grinned. "Of course. Fighting over you isn't something I've been enjoying. Sam's one of my best friends. And so are you. I just want to be more than friends with you without ruining anyone's original friendship."

Espie nodded. "I like that about you. Your grandmother's genes at least help you know what's up, huh?"

He shrugged. "Eh. I can see the love other people have for each other and how others should be fitting together. But when it comes to my own feelings, I guess I'm as blind as the rest of you." He wiggled his eyebrows. "But I'm trying. Please remember I'm trying!"

Espie hugged him again. "I know. Thanks for telling me how you feel."

She dipped her finger in the melted ice cream. "Mmm," she hummed. "And thanks for the snack."

Mark rolled his eyes and looked at the tub guiltily.

Espie took another finger of ice cream out of the tub and wiped it on the legacy's nose. "This will go straight to your hips," she warned.

Mark smiled. "Gotta keep up Aphrodite's girlish figure somehow, right?"

They both laughed.

Espie rose. She walked over to the mess hall entrance and stole one last look at Mark. He was sitting still in his chair, staring at her with a sweet and loving smile, his eyes sparkling and hungry for her love.

She nodded to him and left.

_Mark's a sweet guy,_ she noted. _Maybe he's the one for me, after all…_

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: _**This story's almost as long as **_**Papi_, ladies and gents! I'm hoping to reach 40! Cross your fingers! :D_****_

_**Next up is the Saspie chapter guys! And then the big reveal on which ship officially sails on chapter 30! Woot woot!**_


	29. Esperanza XXIX

**_Sammy's turn, ladies and gents! Let's go ahead and get the ball rolling!_**

**_Sorry it's short, but it'll have to be._**

**_Matt: I've no idea what gives you the right to tell me what I can and cannot write. Where did I mention that fire imps cannot die? I never said he wouldn't be able to be with his family after death. And I also never said ANYWHERE that I would be doing this story with the imp version. That's redundant and stupid and a waste of everyone's time._**

**_Yay: I LOVE THAT PLOT TWIST! That was great, though I won't be doing that. It sounds like something I'd do, but not for this story :P_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXIX<strong>

**ESPERANZA**

Finding Sammy Leo proved to be a bit more difficult.

For one thing, he was a descendant of Pluto, so when he wanted, he could be quiet and hide in dark places easily. His uncle Nico must have taught him how.

For another, he didn't loudly drown out his sorrows in ice cream; he brooded.

Espie finally found him in the crow's nest—Hazel had suggested trying there, since Nico spent his brooding time there after Rome.

Sammy Leo was sitting with his elbows resting on his knees. His head was bowed, his face covered by his mini afro. Espie couldn't hear crying or see sobs racking his muscular form. He was breathing deeply.

_Why is it all the muscular guys gotta go for that 'broody' cliché?_ Espie shook her head and plopped her butt down next to the legacy of Mars.

Sammy lifted his head slightly. Espie saw one golden eye peek at her for a moment, then bury itself back in his hair.

"Hey," she tried.

"Hi." Sammy's voice was more of a groan.

Espie placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not mad at you. You two just surprised me, that's all. Don't beat yourself up over it."

Sammy shrugged. "It still kinda hurt your feelings…"

"Mark's the one who asked. You just stood there looking like a goldfish!"

Sammy hummed in amusement.

Espie smiled. "Okay," she started. "Here's the deal; I would like to know why you like me. What about me has you so infatuated?"

Sammy looked up at her. Espie frowned. His eyes were red and puffy, tear tracks obviously stained on his cheeks.

_So much for just brooding,_ she thought.

Sammy arched an eyebrow. "What makes you ask?"

"I obviously need to decide between the two of you, so I'm asking you individually. I've already talked with Mark."

"And?" Sammy Leo looked hopeful.

She frowned. "Not your business. So, your turn. Talk."

Sammy's cheeks darkened in what Espie assumed was a blush. "Okay," he whispered. "I…I know we're pretty much best friends. I mean, we've grown up together. When we were kids, you knew how to make me feel better. How to comfort me."

_Going in the same direction as Mark,_ she thought worriedly.

"But then," he continued, "I had to go to the Wolf House and be a Roman. When I left, I felt like there was a hole in my heart. I didn't know why I felt so empty. Then I got CHB Leave for the first time. I saw you and…fell apart. You're so beautiful and smart. You're powerful, sure, but that's not what makes me love you. Your sense of humor, the way you laugh, how you're always there to comfort people first. Everything about you…is what I love."

Espie couldn't speak. Sammy's golden eyes were so intense, they might as well have shot a laser through her heart.

"You've like me for that long?" she managed. "How come you never said anything?"

Sammy scratched his neck in embarrassment. "Um…well…every time I get up the courage, I sorta freak myself out or you distract me and I…choke."

Espie remembered how, a few weeks back, Sammy had come up to her, stared at her for five minutes, spouted out some random crud about Hermes's sacred turtle, and ran off. _That's what he wanted? That's what that was about?_

"I make you choke?" she asked.

Sammy nodded. "Yes. In a good way. I love you so much, Espie…You have no idea how much it hurts when I have to say good-bye when CHB Leave is over."

_It hurts him?_

Espie looked down at her shoes. "I…I'm not that important."

Sammy gripped her shoulders. "I meant every word I've said. Esperanza Valdez, you are more important to me than air. If I could, I'd give up my Mars gift just so we could be together."

Espie blushed. "O-Okay," she squeaked, still not meeting his eyes. "I think that's enough. I…I need to think. Excuse me."

She somehow managed not to trip down the rope ladder. Her head was spinning. Sammy Leo had just offered her one of the most cliché lines, and it hit her hard.

Espie rushed back down to her room and slammed her door. She heard a knock about five minutes later.

Leo poked his head in. "Hey, _mija_," he tried softly. "How'd it go with the boys?"

Espie waved him off. "Go away, _Papi_," she said sternly. "I need to think."

"I'm right outside if you need me."

He shut the door. Espie heard a soft thump, which meant she now had a 37-year-old guard dog sitting outside her room.

"Focus, Espie," she told herself. "Now, let's get to the bottom of this. You know who likes you more: Sammy. He's been like that the longest. Who has better potential? Mark, probably. He's an Aphrodite kid; he knows how this stuff works. He'd probably last longer…"

She ran down a personal list of pros and cons for each boy. Which one would be better for her in the end?

Finally, after a few hours of mulling it over with herself, she felt ready. She knew which boy she liked.

She knew her choice.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: SUSPENSE!**_

_**But I bet most of you will know ;3**_


	30. Esperanza XXX

**_The moment you've all been waiting for since chapter ten, guys! THE BIG REVEAL!_**

**_Who's ship will sail?_**

**_Let's find out!_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXX<strong>

**ESPERANZA**

Espie waited on the deck for her two suitors to arrive. She had ordered everyone else to go away.

And of course, everyone else's version of 'go away' meant 'find a hiding place to watch what happens'. Espie was tempted to shoot fireballs at Hazel and Jason up in the crow's nest. Leo was nonchalantly working on something at the control center, one ear inconspicuously turned toward her. Frank was a parrot perched nearby on Icarus. Percy and Annabeth were ducked behind two barrels—in their defense, Espie wouldn't have seen them if she hadn't been looking; She had spotted them last. Bobby and Lacy were standing behind the door to the stairs.

The only person—besides Mark and Sammy—who wasn't present was Tulio, who was still sound asleep in the engine room.

_But Icarus is probably gonna tell him anyway,_ she thought, sighing. _What is this, the royal wedding? This is not their business!_

Finally, Mark and Sammy appeared. Both of them looked extremely flustered. They kept glancing at each other like one would bite the other's head off.

When they got to her, Espie nodded. "Okay, guys. You both know why you're here."

Mark was sweating. "Um…Espie, I just wanna say I'm so sorry for before."

Espie smiled at him. "I know. You said that, and it's all in the past. Right now, it's time I told you who I choose."

She looked at Sammy Leo. "Sammy," she began. "I know you've loved me longer. I admit that a lot of times I look at you, my heart does a flip, too. You're a great leader, and my oldest friend. You're clever, funny, modest…I like you a lot—from your golden eyes, to your bouncy hair, to your huge feet. I like you Sammy."

Sammy smiled, his eyes hopeful. Then he frowned and looked at his shoes. "Huge feet?"

Espie giggled and turned to Mark. "Mark, you understand the aspect of love better than anyone currently on this ship, thanks to your mother and grandmother. You're extremely handsome for your age and I'm sure you'll grow into a very beautiful man, whether you like it or not. You're cute when you act all dramatic, sweet and sensitive, and have a wonderful sense of humor. I like you, too, Mark. From your scruffy hair to your insecurities."

She faced both of them again. "But I can only have one of you."

"Mark," she said. The legacy of Jupiter's blue eyes glowed with hope. A smile was threatening to break loose.

Espie held his hand, her eyes sad. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "But you're just not the right one for me."

The smile vanished and his eyes showed hurt. He looked down, devastated.

Espie hugged him tightly. "Please don't be upset. You're a great guy. I'm sure you'll be able to find the right lady for you, easy."

Mark hugged her back. Espie felt a tear drip onto her shoulder. "I'm okay," he muttered. "You and Sammy deserve to be together. I saw it before the quest started. I still see it now. I'll be fine."

Espie gripped him tighter just a little longer, then let go.

Mark's smile made her happy. He was truly accepting this.

Espie faced Sammy Leo, who looked stunned.

"Me?" he stammered. "You're choosing me over him?"

Espie nodded, taking out Piper's key, which was still spinning slowly, never stopping. "Yes. I am."

She took Sammy's hand and pulled him closer. His eyes went wide as Espie closed the gap between them with a warm kiss.

Sparks flew out of Espie's hair. Sammy smelled like heated metal, a smell she'd loved ever since her _Papi_ brought her and Tulio into his forge. Espie never wanted to break away.

_It's always been Sammy,_ she heard someone in her head say. Maybe it was her inner voice, or maybe it was Aphrodite herself. Who knew for sure?

The key flew out of Espie's hand and shot into the air. It hovered ten feet off the ground, pointing directly down.

Sammy and Espie stopped kissing to look at where the key was pointing.

A beam of light began shining on the ground. It got brighter and brighter. Espie shut her eyes, almost blinded by the white light.

Darkness resumed behind her eyelids. A soft _plink_ resounded.

When she figured it was safe, Espie opened her eyes.

Piper Grace was lying on the deck, in pure white chains, next to her fallen key. She looked like she was sleeping soundly.

Espie picked up the white hot key and handed it to Sammy. She smiled. "I believe it's your turn."

Sammy grinned and took the key. He unlocked Piper, stepping back as her chains disappeared.

Piper shifted and groaned. Her kaleidoscope eyes opened slowly. "Huh? What…where am I?"

Jason flew down from the crow's nest. Mark pushed past Espie to crouch next to his mother. Piper looked at them both with wide eyes.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Jason and Mark laughed and hugged the weak daughter of Aphrodite, who was bewildered beyond reason.

Espie felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw her father standing there, a sad smile on his face.

She side-hugged him. "Mom's next," she promised.

Leo smiled. "Finally. And, by the way, Sammy was the one I was rooting for."

He looked over at parrot-Frank. "Still not gonna accept me into the family, Frank?" he called.

Frank shifted into human form and scowled. "Maybe Tulio, Esperanza, Calypso, Zac, and Aria. But not you."

Leo clutched his chest in mock-pain. "That hurts!"

Espie smiled as Leo went over to the son of Mars to start an argument. Sammy walked back towards her.

"So," he drawled.

"So?" she repeated.

He coughed. "Um…I know we just had a big moment back there, but…let me at least make this official."

"Okay?"

Sammy Leo took her hand and looked at her with soft golden eyes. "Esperanza Valdez…will you be my girlfriend?"

Espie giggled and blushed. "Of course, stupid."

They kissed again. More sparks flew inside Espie's head. She knew her curls had ignited now. Did she care? Nope.

"So all that's left is Calypso's key," Jason finished. Apparently he had been explaining the situation to Piper, who looked a little better now that she'd had a snack—courtesy of Percy, who was willing to share one of his snacks from the Hoover Dam.

Piper nodded. "Okay, so it should be…" she started patting her pockets. Her eyebrows furrowed. "I should have it, right? That's how it goes?"

Annabeth, who had also joined the Graces at Piper's side (along with Lacy and Bobby), nodded. "It's how it's always been. I'm sure it's there somewhere."

Piper checked and rechecked her pockets. She looked up in alarm. "I don't have any key. All of my pockets are empty!"

"Argh!"

Espie's neck hair stood on end. She looked over at Frank and Leo, who had been joined by Hazel. Leo was on his knees, breathing heavily. One of his hands was clawing at his chest. His face was contorted in pain.

Leo groaned in agony.

Espie ran over to his side. "_Papi_, what's wrong?"

Leo looked at her with dark eyes. "Your mother," he whimpered. "My connection to her…it hurts…"

His body lurched and he yelped in pain. Frank and Hazel tried to steady him back to his feet, but Leo collapsed.

Espie exchanged a glance with Sammy Leo.

"We need to find my mother!" she exclaimed.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: SASPIE is the ship! And it is sailing!**_

_**I've wanted those two together since before the story started. Originally, it was going to be a four-way: Sammy, Mark AND Bobby go after Espie. But I cut Bobby out since he's the youngest and JUST became a teen.**_

_**More suspense, though! D: Short-lived happiness for Saspie...**_


	31. Bobby XXXI

**_Oh poor Leo..._**

**_Whelp, here we go! I'm gonna post this now before I go to bed._**

**_By the way, this POV was brought to you by Maelstrom J, who kindly reminded me I haven't been using Bobby lately. You know, not two minutes before you said that, I was like, 'who should do the next POV? I haven't used Bobby for a long time...should I do him or an adult for this?'_**

**_So thanks, J. Here's some Bobby for you :D_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXXI<strong>

**BOBBY**

Bobby tried to stay calm. His parents, along with the rest of the Seven and the Valdez twins, were in the infirmary.

Leo had been dragged inside. The adults would not let any of the teens in besides the twins; too many people as it was. The son of Hephaestus had gone into shock and was unconscious by the time they'd gotten him downstairs.

Mark and Sammy Leo seemed to have settled their differences now that Espie had chosen. Neither of them seemed to want to bite each other's heads off, so that was good. Of course, both of them were probably just as worried as Bobby about Mr. Valdez's condition.

Bobby faced his sister. "What's going on with him?" he begged.

Lacy shrugged. "I don't remember much, but I do remember something about Leo being connected to Calypso in a deep, personal way. To get Calypso off her island, the Fates bonded their love together, which binds them for all eternity."

Mark nodded. "When I'm around those two, it's like I can _see_ the string that ties them together. Their love is eternal, even when they die."

"So what happens when one of them _does_ die?"

The question hung in the air. It was terrible to think about, but if Calypso died while holding up the sky, what would that mean for Leo, who was connected to her, body and soul?

Sammy shook his head. "We can't think like that. Think positive. Leo needs us to be by his side, not thinking about his death."

Bobby felt heat rise into his cheeks. "Sorry."

The infirmary door opened. Percy and Annabeth walked out together, followed by Frank and Jason.

"Piper and Hazel are taking care of him," Jason explained.

"How is he?" Lacy asked.

Frank sighed. "He had a pretty severe attack up there. His heart rate's normal again, but it put a lot of strain on him."

"But he's okay now, right?" Sammy asked nervously.

Annabeth nodded. "He's sleeping right now. I put him on some light sedatives to get him through the night."

"That's not what I asked."

"I know," she said. "We can't really know for certain how he's doing. We'll see what his condition is in the morning. For now, all we can do is let him sleep. Gods know he needs it…"

Jason nodded. "We all need some sleep. Don't bother the girls—and Tulio. Let's all go to bed."

Bobby yawned in reply.

Percy chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Yeah, me too, bud. C'mon lil' Bob. Bedtime."

Bobby gave his father a half-hearted glare. He went to his room (which he now shared with Percy, since Lacy was bunking with their mother) wanting nothing more than to sleep.

But of course, him being a legacy and related to one of the Big Three, dreamless sleep was a myth in times like this…

* * *

><p><em>Bobby was standing in a dark cavern. The roof was bent above him like a Giant was sitting and bending the ceiling as it sat. He felt the need to duck, even though he was pretty small anyway…<em>

_He heard a grunt behind him._

_Bobby turned around._

_Calypso was crouched on one knee, straining against an invisible weight on her shoulders. She was gritting her teeth, a few tears trickling down her cheek._

_She looked at Bobby—like, _right_ at Bobby. The legacy gulped._

_"Wrong one," she groaned. "Sorry, Bobby…"_

_"You were expecting me?"_

_"I was going for Lacy or Annabeth."_

_Bobby felt taken aback. "Why not me or Dad? Or maybe Leo, or your twins?"_

_Calypso smirked behind her pain. "Percy has a tendency to write off his dreams and you…you're still so young, so I wasn't really expecting you. Lacy receives dreams very well."_

_"You sent the one about Atlas to her earlier?"_

_She nodded. "My father 'blessed' me with some old powers to help support my strength. Giving dream visions was unintentionally one of them. But my babies can't receive dreams as well as Big Three family members. And Leo is blocked from me for some reason. Believe me," she said, pausing to moan. "I tried to call him, but…"_

_"He's sedated right now," Bobby explained. "So I think that might be why he's unreachable."_

_Calypso looked a little worried. "Oh no…"_

_"He's hurting, Calypso," Bobby pleaded. "Hurting really bad. You have to tell us how to help him."_

_"He's hurting because his link with me is strained. I'm feeling it, too, but I cannot move. So, now that everyone is rescued and there are no more distractions for him, his end is being tugged twice as hard. He _needs_ to come to me."_

_She grunted as the ceiling shook and seemed to lower more onto her shoulders. Bobby knew the sky was pushing down on her, but he remembered his mother and father explaining the sky came down on a hill. This was clearly a cavern._

_"Where are you?" he asked. "We've got everyone now. We can come get you!"_

_Calypso grimaced. "I honestly don't know where I am…My father has been placing the sky onto me little by little. He's nowhere near me; I'd feel it if he were."_

_"Why did he do this if all he was after was you?"_

_The former Titan scrunched her eyebrows. "To buy time. He needed time to place enough of the sky onto me, so he went and took the Seven to distract the strongest demigods of this generation."_

_Bobby paled. "Then we need to find you," he repeated. "Please, how do we find you!?"_

_"Use my connection," she said. "The closer Leo and I get after a long separation, the more Leo's heart will tug. He'll feel like he's going to die, but that means he's close. Please…"_

_Bobby understood. Piper didn't have Calypso's key because of two reasons:_

_One: Calypso wasn't in chains, so she didn't require a small little trinket._

_And two: _Leo_ was the key—the key to finding Calypso before Atlas was freed._

_"Go," she urged. "And hurry. This hurts."_

_The dream faded._

* * *

><p>Bobby gasped awake. Percy was standing over him, gripping his shoulders. His sea green eyes were wide with concern.<p>

"What's wrong, Bob?" he asked.

Bobby panted and sat up. "Dream message," he managed. "Need to tell everyone—_now_!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: D: Oh dear...**_


	32. Piper XXXII

**_Thank you to anonreviewsyou for that lovely review. It makes me smile to see one like that :D_**

**_To Jaz: Sammy Leo has a sibling. Augustus 'Gus' Zhang, who made a brief appearance at the beginning of the story._**

**_Speaking of whom, I'm going to try and squeeze out a side story later about the kids left behind. Aria, Zac, and Gus are gonna be having their own little adventure, too!_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXXII<strong>

**PIPER**

Piper Grace bent down and took the sedative IV out of Leo's arm. The son of Hephaestus needed only minor sedation, so whatever was in his system would be enough to let him peacefully sleep through the night. The IV had left a tiny bruise on his arm, at which she winced.

Espie was sitting next to Leo, her hand in his. Tulio was on the other side, next to Piper.

"Can't you try to heal him?" Hazel asked, coming over with a wet towel for Leo's forehead.

Tulio shook his head. "It's not something I can heal, nor is it my place. I can't heal everything. Colds, broken limbs, wounds, even tumors, sure. But some things, like heart attacks, paralyzed or lost limbs, and hereditary diseases, I cannot. You'd have to call upon my great-grandfather Bob for that. 'Course, I don't know if he'd answer…"

Piper silently nodded. She reached out and tucked a stray curl behind Leo's ear. He was peacefully asleep, no sign of the pain from earlier taking his features at all.

"I wake up from that weird slumber only to have to immediately take care of this idiot," she muttered. "Leo, why do you always have to make things difficult?"

Piper studied Leo's unconscious form. He had aged a lot since she first met him at the Wilderness School—more than Piper, that was for sure—and it was already starting to show. Smile lines were already appearing around his eyes. Wrinkles were slightly present on his skin. A few silver hairs had sprouted on his scalp—not even noticeable unless you were looking for them, but that would soon change. Piper realized that Leo had pretty much worked himself into the aging. If he didn't work so hard, perhaps he wouldn't look so old?

_Normal demigods barely reach their twenties. Yet here we are,_ she thought. _We're getting older and older each day. Even Leo has grown up…_

Hazel placed the wet towel on the son of Hephaestus's forehead. Piper heard a slight sizzle and saw steam rising from the towel. _His temperature's through the roof,_ she noted. _I hope that's normal._

If it was odd, the twins certainly didn't show any concern about it. Espie had her head snuggled up against Leo's arm, her eyes closed. Tulio's head was bowed, his features masked by his hair. Both of them were as still as Leo. Seeing _any_ Valdez like this was a huge red flag.

Piper looked at Hazel sadly. "We've done all we can," she told the daughter of Pluto. "I took Leo off the light sedatives, so he should wake up in the morning."

Hazel nodded. "Then let's go. I think the twins have it covered here."

The Valdez twins didn't show any sign of acknowledgement. They were deeply immersed in being with Leo while he recovered.

Piper and Hazel left the infirmary just to be bombarded by Mark and Jason—in the pajamas, no less.

"Meeting in the mess hall," Mark huffed. "Bobby said it was _really_ important!"

* * *

><p>Seeing everyone in their pj's reminded Piper of the time the Seven had been woken up by a cruise ship before they faced Hercules. At least Percy wasn't in a bronze breastplate this time and everyone's shirts were right-side out.<p>

She did almost laugh out loud at Bobby's Hedwig bottoms and slippers. That was just adorable.

But he looked shaken, too, which cut Piper's inner giggle short.

When the young Jackson was done retelling his dream vision, everyone was dead silent. Piper shivered at the thought of poor Calypso, who had forsaken her immortality only to have a piece of it forced onto her. She had to be hurting, which in turn was hurting Leo on top of the tugging.

"So what can we do?" Hazel asked.

Annabeth sighed. "We have to wait for Leo to wake up. Until then, we must plan on how we're going to rescue Calypso and defeat Atlas."

"She said Atlas wasn't near her," Bobby said. "So I'm assuming she's nowhere near San Fran."

Jason nodded. "If she was, Camp Jupiter might have contacted us or CHB about there being a disturbance."

"Wouldn't there be one if Atlas was rising in power?" Frank put in.

Lacy shook her head. "In my dream, he said he wasn't planning on waging war for a while. Not enough of an army and too many powerful demigods and legacies. He said he just wanted to be free."

"That guy being free is not something I want on my conscience," Percy growled. "Especially at the expense of Calypso."

The whole table nodded.

Jason fixed his glasses. "So, obviously there's going to be some sort of guard for Calypso. We'll have to prepare for that."

"If they're as easy as the guards for Percy, I think we'll be okay," Lacy said smugly.

"Okay," Jason said. "But what about Atlas? Do we bother sending out a second team to keep him occupied or do we all rescue Calypso together?"

Piper looked at everyone's faces. Bobby and Annabeth were thinking hard. Frank was pondering, his son Sammy Leo sitting next to him with the same face. Percy and Lacy exchanged a glance. Mark shifted in his seat, looking nervous. Hazel reached out to comfort him.

"I say we all go get Calypso," Piper finally said. "Leo and the twins will be heading that party, and Leo's gonna be pretty preoccupied with his heart tugging at him like this, so they'll need some protection. We don't know how long it'll take to get to Calypso or how many monsters we'll have to face; we all need to go."

"Piper's right," Sammy Leo said. "Atlas isn't a problem until he is totally free. If that happens, the camps can easily take him and force him back under the sky."

Jason nodded. "Fine. One problem down."

"One problem?" Mark asked.

The blonde looked at his son sadly. "Leo's health is going to be a concern. When he gets closer to Calypso, what's that going to do to his heart?"

Piper shifted uncomfortably in her chair. If Leo had a heart attack from being this far away from his wife…what would happen when he got closer?

"He's the only thing that can lead us to Calypso," Bobby pointed out. "Mr. Valdez is strong. I'm sure he'll pull through if it's for her."

Piper smiled.

"He'll be able to do this," Frank agreed. "He won't let any tugging stop him."

"It'll only make him more determined to find Calypso," Lacy said with a smile.

Piper was about to say something when the ship suddenly lurched forward. Everyone was suddenly one huge mass of flesh on the floor. Thankfully, none of the plates in the cabinets had gotten catapulted out, but stray silverware almost stabbed the daughter of Athena in the eye.

_Weren't we parked in the air?_ Piper thought to herself.

"What the Hades?" Percy yelled at the bottom of the pile.

Jason was wiggling next to him, almost elbowing Bobby in the face. "Did a plane hit us?"

Frank transformed into a snake and wiggled his way out. Lacy pushed out from underneath Hazel. Piper somehow managed to get off of the pile, since she was on top. Sammy Leo (who was right under Piper) got up shakily and ran out of the room. Piper heard him yell, "Espie! Is Leo okay?"

Piper and Frank ran upstairs, followed by Lacy.

Piper paused slightly when she saw Icarus shaking his head around. It kind of resembled how a dog played with a chewy bone.

Frank sucked in a breath. "What's that in Icarus's mouth?"

Lacy bolted forward before Piper could get a good look. She had already drawn her sword and swatted at Icarus.

"Put him down," the legacy of Poseidon yelled.

Icarus spat out the thing he was playing with. It tumbled onto the deck. Golden blood splattered onto the wood, confirming it was a monster.

Piper ran up and saw that Lacy had her sword threateningly close to the monster's throat. "You," she spat. "You're that little weasel that was talking to Atlas the other day! Now you're gonna talk to us!"

Piper drew her own dagger and Frank became a tiger, pinning the Telekhine down to the ground.

The little Doberman-seal-monster squealed in fear. "Please! Don't hurt me! I come in peace!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: I'm so terrible, aren't I? :3**_

_**Also, you know, a little bit more insight on grown Leo. Not even 40 and he's just like his mother; working himself happily into old age. Does he care? Nope :) He does what he loves and that's all that matters to him!**_


	33. Frank XXXIII

**_Just a quickie before I head to work. I noticed I haven't been doing many adult POV's and figured we could use one more :)_**

**_I know it's short. Oh well!_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXXIII<strong>

**FRANK**

Frank snarled in the Telekhine's face, baring his tiger fangs.

"Mr. Zhang," Lacy whispered. "Release him."

Frank slowly lifted off of the tiny monster. It shivered before getting on its flippers and knees—did seals even _have_ knees?

"Thank you, Lacy Jackson," it said with high-pitched relief. "You are most merciful!"

Lacy put her sword at its throat. "Who said I let him get off you to be merciful? Maybe I didn't want him to have the pleasure of killing you."

The monster yelped. "B-But…I swear! I really do come in peace! My master does not know I am here!"

"How do we know you weren't attacking the ship?" Piper asked.

It shook its Doberman head. "Alone? Never! Even a pack of Telekhines would never match up against this thing! The last group couldn't even handle Poseidon descendants!" He looked nervously at Lacy. "I mean that with utmost respect."

"Whatever," Lacy growled.

Frank turned back into a human and kicked the Telekhine slightly. "Then what were you doing in Icarus's mouth?"

The monster glanced over at the dragon figurehead, who looked a little ticked that he had lost his chew toy. "I had gotten the automaton's attention so I could talk with you. I had no idea he'd start eating me!"

"That must've been the lurch we felt," Frank said, turning slightly to Piper. "Icarus was lunging the whole ship at this thing."

Lacy nodded. "Okay," she said. "So what did you want to talk to us about?"

The Telekhine straightened up a little. "First and foremost: Hello, my name is Andy. And I'm…um…well, I _was_ an intern working for Atlas."

"An intern?" Piper questioned.

_They have those? _Frank thought. "What was it for? A major in monstering?"

Andy bowed his head. "I'm trying to get a degree in Business Management and need so many hours on an internship as an assistant. Atlas said he was hiring, so I took the job as his first assistant."

"Didn't you read the fine print that Atlas is a jerk?" Lacy spat.

The Telekhine cowered. "I'm so sorry for all we've put you through! I honestly didn't think it was right, either! I was just doing my job!"

"Then why aren't you doing it now?"

Andy gulped. "Um…well…after Mr. Jackson was rescued and the ambush failed, I put in my resignation. I didn't want to stick around for Atlas's anger…"

"Are we going to circle back to why you're here?" Lacy asked, prodding the monster with her sword. "Because I'm getting really bored _really_ fast."

Andy squeaked in alarm. "Sorry! Um…I came here because Atlas wouldn't find me here…and I suppose you need a way to find Calypso, yes?"

"We've got one," Frank growled.

"Well, I suppose Leo Valdez is one way, but that couldn't be very reliable…Just randomly going around until he has another heart attack can't be good for his health, can it?"

Lacy narrowed her eyes. "Go on."

"I can just _tell_ you where Calypso is being held," the Telekhine said.

"And what would _you_ want in return?" Frank asked.

"To not be killed?" the monster pleaded. "I swear on the River Styx that I am telling and will tell you the complete truth regarding this quest!"

Thunder boomed overhead.

Lacy nodded and sheathed her sword. "Okay," she said. "Then we won't kill you—as long as you keep your word."

Andy nodded. "I will, I promise!"

Frank glared at him. "Then you might want to start talking…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work I go~!**_


	34. Tulio XXXIV

_**I just realized I haven't done a Tulio chapter since the beginning...My bad D:**_

_**So, here's a Tulio chappie for ya!**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXXIV<strong>

**TULIO**

Tulio groaned and rubbed his head. "What just happened?"

He opened his eyes and found his vision blocked by something heavy. He pushed up. It felt like a person?

"Hang on, Tulio," came his sister's voice. "_Papi_ can be pretty heavy."

Oh, it was Leo.

Tulio closed his eyes and concentrated. The ground left and for a split second, the demititan felt like he was floating in midair. Then, he hit the floor again softly. Now he was in an open area, able to move freely.

"Ugh," he groaned. He felt exhausted now. "Teleporting when I'm not fully awake…not gonna do that again…"

He looked behind him and saw Espie giving him an exasperated look. "I was trying to get _Papi_ off you."

Tulio saw she had her arm around Leo's shoulders. The son of Hephaestus was still unconscious, obviously still sedated. He didn't look harmed, but there seemed to be a welt growing on his forehead. He must have hit his head on the way down from the bed, which was…on its side on the other side of the room…?

"What happened?" Tulio asked.

Espie shrugged. "I dunno. The ship suddenly lurched and you and _Papi_ went tumbling. I'd caught the bed before it could roll onto you guys. You okay?"

Tulio nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm okay. No worse for the wear."

"Espie! Is Leo okay?"

Sammy Leo suddenly burst into the room. His golden eyes were wide with concern.

Espie nodded. "Yeah, he seems to be fine. We're all fine in here. What happened?"

Sammy shrugged. "You got me. All of us in the mess hall were talking about this dream Bobby had when the ship suddenly made us into a huge dog pile. As soon as I got free I came to see you."

Espie smiled. "That's sweet that the first thing you think of is my dad. I see your game now: get close to me to get closer to Leo."

Tulio snorted. Sammy blushed and looked a little flustered. "No…I…he's not…"

"Relax," she said. "I'm just messin' with you. Help me get _Papi_ into a more comfortable position."

As the boys helped moved Leo to a safer corner of the room, the son of Hephaestus groaned. He opened his hazy brown eyes. Everyone froze.

Leo groaned again and shut his eyes.

"Is he awake?" Sammy asked.

Tulio sighed. "The impact on his head must have woken him up. The sedatives are still deep in his system, though. He probably feels like he got gassed at the dentist."

"Loopy?"

"And slow," Tulio confirmed. "Go get a pillow and some blankets, Espie. Sammy, some water."

The two set off. Tulio kissed Leo on the forehead and the welt instantly vanished. Leo moaned and opened his eyes again.

"Tu…li…o…" he said slowly.

"Rest, _Papi_," the legacy said. "Go back to sleep."

"Thhhh….irshty…"

Sammy came back with a bottle of water. Tulio uncapped it and held up Leo's head. He poured a tiny trickle into his father's mouth. "Drink," he ordered softly.

Leo could only hold open his mouth a little. He barely swallowed. A lot of the water poured out of his mouth before he could manage to swallow.

"You drink the water, not wear it," Tulio said playfully.

Leo didn't respond. He sputtered a bit but then curled onto his side. "Shlee…phy…"

Tulio smiled. Espie arrived with a thick blanket and two soft pillows. She wrapped Leo up as Sammy fluffed up the pillows. Leo hummed sleepily.

Espie kissed his hair. "Rest easy, _Papi_."

Sammy took her hand in his. "He'll be fine. Why don't we see what's up above? They might need our help."

Espie nodded and stood up with her new boyfriend. They left the room in a hurry.

Tulio stayed behind a moment more. He watched his father with concerned eyes.

"_Papi_," he whispered. "Whatever happens…I hope you'll be okay…"

He shivered slightly. For some reason, he'd been feeling nothing but dread for his father for the last few days. Something was bound to happen. Something bad.

"Please be careful," he whispered before heading upstairs.

* * *

><p>"Houston?" Tulio asked. "You're kidding."<p>

Andy the Telekhine shook his head. He was collared and attached to Icarus via bronze chains. If at any time the Seven and their legacies thought Andy was lying, Icarus would eat him. "I do not kid when it comes to my life. I swear that Houston is where Calypso Valdez is being held. There is an underground cavern under the city. You can get to it via the sewers or from a few miles out of the city. I won't lie; there will be many monsters there to protect her."

"Obvious," Percy growled. "We'd pretty much figured there would be."

"So where's the entrance?" Mark asked.

"The closest entrance to the specific area in the sewers lies in a cemetery."

"Lovely," Piper said, curling her lip. "If only we had Nico, right?"

Hazel giggled. "You've still got me. If Atlas was planning on using the dead, they wouldn't dare attack a daughter of Pluto."

"Or his grandson," Sammy Leo put in.

"Atlas's power over undead soldiers are pretty much useless in that graveyard. None of the dead there participated in wars. They're descended from immigrants."

"In other words," Espie said. "It's a Mexican cemetery."

"Is it _día de las muertos_ already?" Tulio asked. "Should've brought some sugar skulls."

"Not the time for jokes," Frank grumbled.

Espie shrugged. "Someone's gotta keep the morale up."

"It's a Valdez specialty," Tulio put in.

"We know," the son of Mars said.

Bobby snickered. Lacy rolled her eyes.

Annabeth cleared her throat. "Any other information we could use? Troop placement? How far we have to go before we see Calypso?"

"The army is pretty disorganized," Andy said. "They just go where they're sent and stand there. There's no real special formation to them. As for where she is…she's about a mile down if you use the cemetery entrance. Longer if you try any other way."

The adults exchanged a glance, then settled onto Sammy Leo.

"Well, Sam," Frank said. "It's your call, since you're officially the leader of this quest. Wanna take that entrance or try our luck farther away?"

Sammy nodded. "We don't have much of a choice. If things go wrong, I'd rather have to run a shorter distance. We'll take the cemetery entrance."

Lacy bent down to the Telekhine's level. "Okay, _Andy_. You're going to lead us down to Calypso. If you try to attack us with your friends, we'll turn you to dust so fast you won't know who hit you."

Andy shivered. "They aren't my friends. And I won't attack you even if I was going to be paid. I can't take on my older brothers, much less you guys. I'll lead you to Calypso without a fuss."

Tulio stroked Icarus's hide. The dragon purred in reply, but then whirred something in Morse Code.

The demititan rolled his eyes. "No, you may not eat him. Yet. He's being useful."

Icarus snorted.

Andy looked quite nervous around the dragon head.

Tulio gave the monster an impish grin. "Let's hope he _stays_ useful."

Andy whimpered.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Tulio can be evil when he wants to :3**_

_**Also, saw the new Night at the Museum! I LOVED IT! Though I can't fathom why my eyes kept traveling to Ahk whenever he was on screen... It totally wasn't because he was total eye candy... :D**_


	35. Tulio XXXV

_**La-de-dah.**_

_**Nothing to see here.**_

_**Except a Tulio chapter :3**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>XXXV<strong>

**TULIO**

After they had established where they were going, Tulio took it upon himself to drive. He hadn't done so in a while and needed some time alone.

Tulio thought about Houston. He hadn't been there since he was really little, so he hardly remembered it. All he knew was that it was hot, steamy, and dusty sometimes. And muddy after the rain. For some reason he remembered lots of mud.

Houston had held some pretty bad memories for Leo, so Tulio knew it was going to be pretty hard on the son of Hephaestus. Though Leo had moved there when the twins were born, it was still a scar over his heart and sometimes he couldn't handle it. There had been many a night when Leo had not slept—and not because the twins kept him up, either.

Tulio sighed, squinting as the rising sun glared in his eyes.

_Rising sun? How long have I been up here?_

Tulio realized he had been driving all night. Huh. Oh well…

He looked over at Andy, who had fallen asleep next to Icarus. Considering the other Telekhines' sizes at the Hoover Dam, Tulio supposed this guy was pretty small. He didn't seem like much of a threat. That, and his feelings and emotions were pretty genuine earlier. Tulio hadn't sensed any sort of threatening aura, so that was good.

Tulio yawned.

"Why don't you let me take the wheel, _mijo_?"

Tulio jumped, yelping. He whirled around and saw Leo standing there. The son of Hephaestus had his arms crossed and was grinning a little.

"_Papi_," Tulio said. "What are you doing up? You should be resting. Your heart—"

"I'm fine," Leo said. "That tug caught me by surprise, that's all. I wasn't expecting such a hard tug."

"But your tie pulls harder the closer you get after such a long separation, right?"

Leo's eye twitched. "Yeah, but now I'm expecting it. I can learn to deal with it now that I know it's coming."

Tulio gave him a hard stare. "Go back to bed, _Papi_."

Leo shook his head. "As if! I'm up now and ready to go! I'm not gonna go to sleep when Calypso is close! Besides, I'll feel the tug regardless of my conscious state."

He stumbled a little. Tulio went to catch him. The man waved him off. "No, not a tug. Those sedatives are still wearin' off. They're almost out of my system now."

Tulio shook his head.

Leo straightened up again. "So, where's my Sunshine located?"

Tulio pointed to Andy and told his father everything that had transpired last night. Leo looked at the Telekhine with narrowed eyes, like he was considering something. Then, he groaned. "Houston? It _would_ be Houston."

Tulio nodded. "Still think you should drive?"

Leo gave him a half-hearted glare. "I'm driving, kid. Outta my way."

He shoved Tulio softly. "I'm fine, _mijo_," he said, grinning like a crazy person. "Honest."

Tulio smiled. Leo was telling the truth. "Mind if I get my sleeping bag and camp out up here? Just in case."

Leo shrugged and sighed. "Fine."

Tulio left the control center. Before he headed below deck, he heard his father yell, "Am I that old that I have to be taken care of 24/7? It's not like I'm as ancient as your _tartarabuelo_!"

Tulio smiled and shook his head at his father's overdramatic attitude.

A few minutes later, Tulio had curled up behind Leo in his orange sleeping bag. Leo hadn't complained again, but at least gave him a bit of a lean-to to shade his son from the sunlight.

Tulio closed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

><p><em>A chill ran up Tulio's spine. He woke up in the dark, smelling something that resembled dirty socks and poo put together. It was not a nice smell.<em>

_He twirled on the balls of his feet, trying to get a feel of where he was. It looked like a cave, but the roof was so bent in, Tulio thought he might be under a feeble chair…_

_His gaze landed on a lone figure crouching in the dark._

_"Mom!" he yelled._

_Calypso lifted her head and smiled. Her face was drenched in sweat. "Tulio," she groaned. "Please hurry…"_

_"We're trying," he said. "A monster we captured said you were in Houston in the sewers."_

_"Oh that's what that smell is…I thought I had terrible body odor…"_

_Tulio cracked a smile. Leave it to the Valdez family to joke under serious circumstances. "We're almost there, Mom. Can you hold on?"_

_"Oh, I can hold on," she said. "Your grandfather has made sure I can. It's not my strength failing you need to worry about. Atlas has almost put all of the weight onto me now. You must get here quickly!"_

_Tulio nodded furiously. "Are we following the right path, though? Is Houston correct?"_

_"I've no idea," Calypso said. "You'll just have to trust this monster of yours."_

_"His name is Andy. He says he used to be your father's assistant. He's an intern."_

_Calypso, despite her obvious pain, smirked. "Intern, huh? He mention where he was studying?"_

_"Said his major was business management."_

_"If he's telling the truth, and if we all make it out of this, we could always use a desk clerk in the shop."_

_Tulio chuckled. "Be serious, Mom."_

_His mother smiled sweetly. "Just lightening the mood. It's the only thing I _can_ lighten at the moment."_

_Tulio could feel his presence slowly disappearing. He held out his hand, but the scene was fading. The last thing he saw was his mother's smile._

_The last thing he heard was a soft voice speaking in his head. It wasn't his mother's voice—it was the Fates' together._

_"_**The last of rescues is hardest of all.**

**Titan's strength shall prevent her fall.**_"_

_The dream faded and Tulio jolted awake._

* * *

><p>"You okay, <em>mijo<em>?"

Tulio opened his eyes. Leo was crouched beside him, looking a little worried.

The demititan sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I'm okay…how long was I out?"

"Couple hours," said Leo. "You had a dream, didn't you?"

"How'd you guess?"

"You were whimpering and shifting in your sleep."

Tulio shook his head in confusion, then remembered the dream. "It was Mom," he said. "I had a dream about her."

He explained the dream. Leo nodded, totally serious.

"Not much time, then," the son of Hephaestus muttered. Then, he smirked. "Good thing we all have practice with deadlines, then."

Tulio nodded. "How long until we reach Houston?"

Leo nodded to the starboard side. "We just entered the city limits."

Tulio stood up and stretched. "Time to see if our little friend is telling the truth."

He walked over to Andy, who was still sleeping. He prodded the Telekhine with his shoe. "Wake up."

Andy yawned, revealing his doggish fangs. "Ngh?" he said through the yawn.

Tulio pointed over the rail. "We're in Houston. Care to point us to the graveyard entrance?"

He unlinked the monster and held onto the chain like a leash. Andy walked over to the side of the ship and glanced down. He looked around a bit before pointing his flipper toward the Southeast. "There."

Leo shook the Wii remote and the ship slowly descended down near the spot. The rest of the crew came upstairs to see the approaching cemetery.

Espie squeezed Tulio's shoulder. Tulio looked at her with a knowing stare.

As soon as the _Argo II_ was low enough, the entire company went down the gangplank and halted next to the entrance. Leo whistled to get Icarus's attention.

"Fly into the clouds," he instructed, pulling a plastic whistle out of his tool belt. He blew the whistle. "If you hear that, come find us. Don't blow anything up, please."

Icarus roared in delight. The _Argo II_ ascended and disappeared into the smog clouds above Houston.

Leo pulled out a few more whistles, along with a hammer. He handed the whistles to Sammy Leo, Percy, Esperanza, Piper, and Tulio and put his own around his neck. "Just in case," he said. He shouldered the hammer. "Now, let's get this over with."

The group nodded and faced the cemetery. Tulio gulped, still gripping Andy's leash. What were the chances it would be _this_ cemetery? Of all the cemeteries in Houston…it had to be this one…

Leo led the way inside, tall and proud. "C'mon, guys," he said. "Stop staring."

Tulio followed with Andy in front, walking under the sign that read **VALDEZ CEMETERY** like nothing was wrong at all.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Whelp...yup...this is happening.**_


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